Saeki's ADV
by artemisia89
Summary: Inspired by the ADV system in TokiMemo GS 3rd Story. Some of the most important moments of Saeki's route seen from his point of view.
1. Accidental Kiss

**_So, here are some points I need to clear before I start:_**

**_The heroine name is Nami Shimizu, which is the way I called her in my Saeki playthrough because of its reference with water._**

**_This story is divided in various chapters that I'll had when they are ready. Everyone is about an event. It contain spoilers about Saeki's route._**

**_While the events are mostly accurate, these are not proper translations. Some parts are based on my perception and some are just in my imagination (for example, the heroine in the game NEVER blackmailed Saeki about telling everyone about Sangoshou, while here she kind of does.)_**

**_English is not my first language so, even if I checked for mistakes, some might still be there. Nothing too serious, I hope._**

**_Said that, I hope you'll like it the way it is._**

**_Accidental Kiss_**

«Yaaaaaawn!»  
Tonight I have really beaten my yawning record. I'm not really counting them, but I've sure yawned a lot. Not to mention that I'm looking blankly at the Literature book without really understanding what the hell does it say.  
Studying at night is not exactly good for my concentration. Usually, I'm too tired to read anything. But this time the problem is not how tired I am. If the reason was that one, her face wouldn't flash through my mind every ten seconds, distracting me from my homeworks.

Nami Shimizu...

I like her name. It kinda reminds me of the sea: waves, sand, sun... mermaids...  
I really like it. Still, I can't say I like HER.

She's not ugly: she could be really pretty, if she took care about her appearance a little more. Even as it is, she's still kind of cute. But when it comes to her attitude... well, she's pretty dumb. Now, I'm not saying she's STUPID: it's just that sometimes she's kind of slow when it comes to understanding things. I could tell her I don't want her around until my face becomes blue, but I'll keep finding her on my way no matter what. Is she stubborn, or she just enjoys annoying me?

Her face flashes in my mind again.

«I can't go on like this!» I mutter, finally closing the book.  
If I can't study, I have no reason to keep staring at these pages. It will be better if I go to sleep. At least I will look a little less like a vampire, if I sleep an hour or two more than usual.  
I'm tired, after all. Physically tired. It was a really long day, as usual.  
I don't even manage to get changed. I just fall on my pillow as it is, with my eyes closed.  
Just a little bit. I'll get changed in two minutes. Just a little while...

As I start dozing, I see her face again, but this time I'm too tired to reject the memory. I let her face float through my confused thoughts, while memories of this afternoon comes back from where I tried to bury them.

_She works at Sangoshou, too, so SHE decided that, since we had the same destination, we had to go there togheter after school. I had no reason to refuse, but why should I let her do as she pleased? Not only I had to see her at school everyday, but I also had to work with her at Sangoshou!  
No, I couldn't let her.  
That's why, as soon as the lessons ended, I sneaked away and tried to go away on my own. Unfortunately, she found out and followed me._  
_So here we are, as she's running toward me at the slope, not far from the crossroad.  
She calls out my name, asking me to wait, but I don't stop. I tell her that, if she really wants to come with me, she has to walk faster.  
What does she want from me? Why doesn't she leave me alone? Of all the cafés in all the cities in all the WORLD, did she REALLY had to walk into mine?  
Then she get upset and yell out that she'll tell everyone about my job, if I don't wait for her.  
It works. I stop, sigh and turn around... and, last thing I see is her figure stumbling toward me. She falls into my arms, as her lips bump against mine..._

I wake up and I find myself sitting on the bed, a burning thightness in my chest. I've been woken up by my own heartbeat!  
Outside of the window, I can see the first rays of the sun. It's morning.  
No! Not already! I feel like I slept only two minutes! Moreover, I'm still all dressed up like yesterday and I feel like I've been hit by a truck.  
There's a blanket layed on me, though. I didn't put it there.

«Thanks, grandpa...» I mutter, as I fall back on my pillow. At least, I haven't caught a cold.  
Thank goodness my alarm clock isn't ringing yet. Maybe I have ten minutes left to doze a little bit more.

In the end, it was Nami's fault if I didn't sleep well. Why do I have to live those moments again and again? I just want to forget.  
It's not like it's my first kiss, after all.

My first kiss, I had it a long time ago. There was this little girl I had a crush on...  
When you are a child and you like a girl, you just want to be with her. You don't really get what those feelings are, but, when you are with her, it feels good and that's enough.  
I kissed that little girl because she was going to leave soon and I didn't want her to go away. I promised I'd find her, like the young boy from the mermaid fairytale did, because she WAS my marmaid. In my mind, she undoubtely was.  
I was a kid, after all. I couldn't understand that "years" and "distance" aren't just something you can skip over, like the pages of a book.  
Happy endings... I guess they don't really exists, if not in fairytales. And kisses aren't all that important, anyway. People kiss a lot of other people during their life; it's just normal. I must be the only one in the whole world who reached high school with only one kiss on his account.  
So Nami's kiss is NOT important. It was an accident. AN ACCIDENT!

Her face floats in front of my eyes yet again, exactly as she appeared after the kiss: her big eyes opened wide and the crimson cheeks, while the wind played with her short hair. She looked confused, as if it was her first kiss...

...Hey, what if it _really_ was her first kiss?  
Did I steal it away? Maybe she'd prefer to have it with someone else. After all, she barely knows me. I'm not even her friend...

My heart starts racing again, so much it almost hurts. I'm going to have a heart attack soon, if it keeps going on this way.  
Stop it! Stop it now! What do you care, after all? So what if she didn't like it? It's not your fault, ain't that right?

The heart doesn't stop. It keeps beating more and more, hurting me in the process. Am I going to die?  
I close my eyes, trying to chase everything away, and I remember the touch of her lips on mine. Their taste was sweet, so sweet that I only wanted to close my eyes and enjoy it. I wanted to touch her cheeks, play with her hair. Were her hands shaking like mine? Did she like the taste of my lips as I liked hers? Why does it feels so terribly familiar? And, as my mind was wondering, she closed her eyes just for a moment, as if she was enjoying it...  
Maybe she liked it, after all...

Finally my heartbeat slowed it's pace. I'm not going to die after all. Still...

«Ah, that's no good! I have no time for this!»  
I'm not joking: I really have no time for this kind of things. Right now, my life is completely full. I have Sangoshou, I have school and I have to struggle just to be alive. I have no time to think about that kiss... which wasn't a kiss after all. And even Nami... she's just an annoying girl like all the others. The only difference is that I don't have to pretend in front of her. I can be me, without worrying about my image, because... well, she already found out and she doesn't seem to care. She sticks around anyway, no matter how I treat her...

«No good, no good, NO GOOD» I mutter to myself, burying my head in the pillow.  
I don't want to think about her. I don't have to think about her. PLEASE, JUST STOP THINKING!  
Just as I'm trying to chase her out of my head, the ringing of my alarm clock hurts my hears. It's time to wake up. Another tiring day has started.

Wake up, Teru! Rise and shine! You have a whole lot of things to do, today: you even have to finish the homework you left in backlog. You know what's going to happen, if your grades drop, right?

So it's Nami's fault again: I didn't sleep well because of her, I haven't done my homework because of her and I risked an heart failure because of her. And, as if it isn't enough, I'll have to see her at school.  
I have to act like nothing ever happened. I have no choice: I don't want her to see how much that "kiss" bothered me. She probably doesn't even care...

I stop the alarm clock and get up. I feel more tired than usual, but I have to act cool. I know grandpa is worried about me, and I don't want him to think I'm overworking. This life has been my choice and I have to deal with it. I can do it. I know I can.  
I repeat this like a mantra, hoping it will give me courage. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.

Another day has started, and I'll have to deal with it. Somehow.


	2. On the way back

On the way back...

«I can't believe it! He sneaked away again!»  
«So unfair! He was supposed to hang out with us after school!»  
I quickly hide behind a tree when I hear the girls' voices getting nearer and nearer.  
Here they are again, chasing me down like bloodhounds. Sometimes I get the feeling that they can smell me, no matter how hard I try to avoid them.  
They are the girls of my so called "fan club": the "Princesses of Hanegasaki High", or at least this is how they like being called. As for me, I prefer to call them "Pustules", "Lices" and "Nuisances"; I can't tell it in their faces, though. It would ruin my image, and I don't have nor the time, nor the will to worry about that too. So, I'm stuck: if I'm nice toward them, they chase me down, but if I'm rude they'll ruin my reputation.  
Ahhh... The awes of being a Prince...!

«Ah! I think I saw him over there!»  
«Where? Where?»  
The girls turns all togheter toward the opposite direction of the place I was hiding and sprint away. Probably they spotted someone who looks like me or something: whoever he is, I pity him. He's going to have a hard time.  
Anyway, what matters is that... I'm free! Yes!

As soon as I don't hear their footsteps and voices anymore, I jump out of my hiding spot and run toward the gates. Because of them, I'm already more than half an hour late: Grandpa will have to open without me, and it's already the second time that it happens.  
It's not like he doesn't understand why it happens: last time he didn't ask me anything, and he certainly didn't scold me. The problem it's definitely not him. The problem it's me: how can I show how much I care about the café if I can't even be on time for the opening hour? I can't help but feeling guilty, even if it's not really my fault.

While I'm thinking this, I find myself in front of the gates. I'm almost safe! I just have to go out before someone spots me again. Gotta run for my life!  
I'm ready to start my last dash. Just have to take a deep breath and...

«Saeki!»

Gotcha! And me who thought I finally made it...  
Still, while the one that called me definitely is a female voice, it isn't the chirping "Saeki-kun" I'm so used to hear from my fans.  
Only my surname. No suffixes. And a very, very fed-up voice.  
Nobody calls me that, except for one person.

I slowly turn around and, just as I thought, I see Nami standing behind me, her hands on her hips and a childish pout on her face. She is breathing hard, like she ran for a while, and as soon as our eyes meet, she raises her schoolbag as if she wants to use it as a weapon against me.  
She kinda reminds me of a valkyrie ready to charge against an enemy.

I feel blood rush up to my face, while my heart beats faster and faster and my mind fills with the memories of what happened less than a week ago.  
Yeah. The kiss.  
The taste of her lips, the way she closed her eyes for a moment one second before we parted, that sweet feeling of familiarity...

No, idiot! You can't blush now! Not in front of her! Settle down!  
No matter how hard I repeat that words in my mind, my heartbeat don't slow down and my face grow hotter and hotter, especially when she starts coming closer.  
I quickly turn away as if I'm annoyed by her sight, so that she can't see me directly.  
«...What do you want? I'm in a hurry, don't you see?» I say sharply... maybe more sharply than I wanted.  
She sighs and rolls her eyes, before anwering:  
«Saeki, do you remember what day it is?»  
«It's... Friday?»  
Yeah, Friday. She didn't say it because someone could hear us, but we both know what she's talking about. Today she's working at Shangoshou, too; so, we had to go there togheter.  
«Yeah, Friday. You know, I was looking everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you. It's late! What were you doing?»  
I finally find the courage to look at her. Hearing her speak like nothing happened is helping me settling down. My heartbeat is slowing down too, even if it's still faster than usual.  
«Running away» I answered briefly. «And, since I'm still running, would you mind if we moved away from here?»  
She understands the meaning of my words and grins.  
«The "Princesses" again?»  
I don't anwer. There's no need to, since she already knows.

We quickly leave the school ground and walk down the usual road, without talking.  
This time, I'm not trying to leave her behind. I could walk faster than that, but her legs where shorter than mine and she wouldn't be able to keep up with my pace. It's me who have to settle down with hers.  
This time, I don't mind. It's not like we are not in a hurry: we are late, after all. Still, I feel like something has to happen. After that "thing", we haven't really spoken and now it feels like we both left something along the way. I don't really want to speak about it (too many things I don't want her to notice!), but I have the feeling that I won't go over it until we'll do it.  
But, again, nobody speaks; we just keep on walking, and I can do nothing but hear the noise of her shoes on the sidewalk.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Somehow, it fits perfectly with my still too fast heartbeat.

Thum-Thum... Thum-Thum... Thum-Thum...

Does it feel this way when you're going to have an heart attack?

Now we are walking down the slope, almost in the same point where we kissed.  
I start fiddling unconsciously with one of the bottons of the uniform, and I feel her moving with unease by my side.  
So she is thinking about it, after all! It's not just me! Maybe she's expecting me to start the conversation, exactly like I'm waiting for her to say something.  
Do I have to say something? Yes, of course.  
But what?

Before I can make up my mind, though...  
«...Saeki, listen... about that "thing"...»  
«What "thing"?» I answered without thinking.  
I really wanted to say: "So it bothers you too?"; but, once again, my pride took those words and modified them until they became a presumptuos mockery. I'm still not ready to admitt that it meant something for me, or to say sorry.  
Yes, sorry. Because we were both at fault, in a certain way. Maybe I'm more at fault than her, because I did enjoy that kiss, while she may have disliked it.  
...Only thinking about it is making my heart ache.  
I don't know why. It just does.  
«...You know... the kiss...»  
I turn my eyes away from her, looking over the railing toward the sea. It sparkles under the setting sun like someone just threw a million rubies in the water. It's really beautiful, but it doesn't make me feel better. If it was morning, maybe...  
«I already told you: it was an accident. Don't think about it anymore. Just forget.»  
I can't even look at her face while I'm saying these words, because I know I'm lying. I haven't forgotten, nor I want her to forget. But in the same time, I want to.  
I really can't make up my mind.

«If you say so. But I don't think I will.»  
Her answer, and the determined voice with which she said that that, make me turn around to meet her smiling face. It's a sweet, yet naughty smile; the kind I would expect from a child.  
It really suits her: she looks... really cute.  
«...Eh?»  
My face is hot. DON'T TELL ME I'M BLUSHING AGAIN?  
«It was still an experience, you know?» she says, grinning maliciously. «And it was worth it, if only to see you blush like that!»

I just stare at her in astonishment. At first, I don't really understand what she said. My mind is still a mess, after all. But, as the meaning digs its way in my brain like a drill, I feel a confused mix of emotion rising up all togheter: relief, embarassment and... an overwhelming need to strangle her!

I don't know what kind of face I have, but I see her eyes grow wide, as she realize what I'm going to do.  
Shielding her head with the arms, she quickly dodges on the side, avoiding my chop right in the nick of time.  
«Waaah! Saeki, stop it! I was joking! Joking, you know?»  
Nami lets out a small scream, as she dashes away along the road. I quickly chase after her, shaking my fist menacingly.  
«Nami! Come here immediatly! I'm saying it for your own good! It will be a lot worse if I get you!»  
«If I come, you'll chop me!»  
«I'll chop you even if you run away!»  
«But you'll have to get me first!»  
«Yes, but when I'll do, I won't only chop you: I'll chop you to death!»  
She screams again and quicken up her pace, and I do the same.  
«You won't get away with this!» I roar.  
I hear her chuckle, before she turns briefly around to show me her tongue.  
«Demon Saeki!»

Before I know it, I realize I'm starting to laugh myself: laugh like I've never laugh for a long time. My heart feels somehow lighter while I'm chasing her and, even if I still want to strangle her, I feel a lot better.  
I don't know what is this girl doing to me. I don't know if she's my worst enemy, of if she's dangerously becoming my best friend. I'm not even sure I want to know. I know only that I like it the way it is.

So, keep on running, Nami, because I've got the feeling that I'll run after you for a long, long time. And you can be sure of one thing: I'll get you someday. 


	3. Are you Jealous?

**ARE YOU JEALOUS?**

«Teru, you're such a drag! I already told you I can do it on my own! No need to tail me like some pervert guardian angel!»

"_Pervert guardian angel..."_

I haven't heard this one up to now. She called me "condor", "restless spirit", "control-mother" and a lot of other names, but "pervert guardian angel"? I wonder how an angel can be a perv: I probably should ask Nami, but I don't think I will. I have the feeling I won't like her explaination.

«You said it last time, too, and right after that you broke a whole set of cups. So, sorry if I don't trust you.»

She looks down at me from the top of the chair she's using to reach the top of the shelf.

«That wasn't entirely my fault! If you didn't appear like a ghost and scare me like that, I wouldn't break anything.»

«I _didn't _appear _like a ghost_. I just told you to be careful. But, if you really think it's my fault, then I'll let you be. Is it good with you?»

«I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.»

She thanks me sarcastically, before turning away from me, back to her mission of putting a set of plates back at their place.

I roll my eyes and walk away. Arguing with a stubborn brat like her can be really tiring, and I'm already tired on my own. It was another long day: school, then a more crowded than usual Sangoshou and, as if it wasn't enough, I still have my homeworks to do.

Aaaaah! I'm only on my second year of high school, and I'm already wishing I could retire.

I hate to admitt it, but the only moments in which I feel at ease are the ones when I'm with Nami.

We do nothing but arguing and quarreling about everything, like grade schoolers. We have nothing in common.

I like coffee, but she hates it because "it's too bitter" and, if she has to drink it, she fills it with so much sugar that it's impossibile to drink.

I like the music of the classic guitar, she listen to HEAVY METAL (Yeah, it was a shock when I found out).

I always try to do things in the most tidy and perfect ways, while she messes up everything she does and _laugh _about it like it's funny.

I already have everything planned for my life, while she says "there's still time to think about it".

How do we manage to be friends, I still don't know; but we are. And I love to be with her, even if I'd prefer to die rather than tell her.

Anyway, the day has ended again. Everything is in order: we just have to close everything and go home. And I need a cup of coffee, or I'll fall asleep on the books.

I walk behing the counter, thanking inwardly whoever invented coffee, but, before doing anything else, I stop to listen to what is Nami doing. I can hear only some fiddling noises, but _I know_...

"_Three, two, one..."_

_CRASH!_

I told you I _knew _it!

Almost pleased by my always correct intuitions, I leave my place behind the counter to go back to her.

Nami is leaning on the floor, looking at the broken cups on the floor. As soon as she hears my footsteps, she turns around and glares at me like its my fault.

«Don't you dare to laugh at me!» she says.

«I didn't mean to. I should probably scold you, since it's the second set you break in a forthnight; but I'm getting used to you making troubles, so I won't.»

Her pout slowly turns into one of her most dazzling smiles, and I feel like something warm and soft wrapped my chest. How can I even think about getting angry with her, if I know she'll smile like that if I don't? I'm under her spell... again.

«Thank you!» she says, looking down with a little bit of embarassment. «Next time I won't be so stubborn. It's just that...»

«Don't thank me» I interrupt her. If she keeps on talking, I don't know what I'll end up doing. «Just clean everything up. And...»

«"And" what?» she questions, puzzled.

I get closer to her and, before she can realize that...

_Chop!_

«Ouch! You sadist!»

She massages her forehead and glares at me, while I just grin.

«I'm not sadist: this is just your punishment! And now, clean!»

I walk away, chuckling by myself. I LOVE to chop her, mostly because I like the face she does when I do it. I like it so much that I don't even care if she spends the rest of the day cursing me.

I go back to my duties, listening carefully as she cleans everything up.

I have to admitt that she's getting better, at least as a waitress. When grandpa hired her, she did nothing but troubles: she mistook the orders, was very slow and, more generally, forced me to do her part of the job. Now she doesn't mess things up that often anymore, so I can't really complain. Maybe grandpa was right: she just needs her time. After all, he liked her as soon as he saw her, and his instinct is always right.

I wonder if she did all those mistakes at first because she was scared of me: in fact, she only messed up when I was around. Maybe she thought I would hit her with a tray like I did on her first day, if she made a mistake.

Perhaps being a little nicer toward her wasn't a bad idea...

«Done!»

I'm so lost in thoughts that I didn't hear her coming.

«It was fast. I though you'd take a lot more.»

Nami grins and looks at me with her mischevious eyes, leaning toward me from over the counter.

«You are always undervaluing me. I'm getting better, you know? If I keep it up, I'll be as good as you are in no time.»

...Yes, but you're getting too close. You have no idea how it's making me feel, and I know I'll never tell you, but you should understant that it may be dangerous for you. Especially if I'm the other party.

I quickly take a step backward, trying to make it look as natural as possibile.

«You won't be as good as me not even in a hundred years.»

She pouts.

«But in a hundred years, we'll both be dead!»

«_You_, maybe.»

«Don't you know that women lives longer than men? Moreover, with all the coffee you drink, you're putting in so much caffeine that you'll die of heart failure in twenty years.»

The first reply that comes in my mind is that I risk an heart failure every time she gets closer, but I keep it for myself. Another thing I should tell her, but will never do.

«Men die first because women drive them crazy; and you say that only because you hate coffee.»

«I have every reason to hate it: it's bitter, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth and it's not good for the health!»

While she speaks, she counts the flaws of the coffee on her fingers, before looking at me with a victorious look, like she already won the battle.

But I'm not the kind of guy who gives up.

«If it wasn't bitter, it wouldn't be coffee anymore. And, if its not good for the health, than it's better to drink it bitter: if you put as much sugar as you do, you'll get diabetes only by smelling it!»

«I drink it only when I have no choice, so I won't get diabetes. It's you who drinks more than three cups per day!»

«Because I can't stay awake otherwise! If you hate coffee so much, why did you come to work here?»

«Because it's the first place I found!»

Here we are again: a couple of grade-schoolers quarreling about the most stupid thing in the world. Honestly, I was wondering when we'd start tonight: we didn't quarrel like that for a whole day. It's a record!

We keep arguing, glaring at each other from over the counter, and we'll probably go on for the whole night. Thank goodness, someone comes to stop our fight.

Grandpa, to be exact.

«Are you done, kids? Can we close, now?»

We both turn toward him, surprised. We completely forgot that he has been with us the whole time.

By looking at our faces, it doesn't take much for him to understand what was going on. He roll his eyes and smile with a somewhat pleased expression.

«Quarreling again?»

«We aren't quarreling: we are just having a discussion» I answer, barely refraining from glaring at him.

...I was having a little fun, actually...

«Usually, when people "discuss" they don't scream at each other» he says.

«...Sorry. We didn't mean to cause trouble.»

As soon as she speaks, I take a quick glance toward Nami. She's blushing in shame, and her voice is a little lower than usual. How can she, who's always so bright and shameless around me, turn so shy around my grandfather? Sometimes I wonder which one is her true personality: the shy girls everyone know at school, or the lively one I know? Maybe both. I kind of remember that she was a little shy around me too, at first. She must have grown accustomed to me, somehow; as much as I'm growing accustomed to her.

After all I'm the first one who could be accused of having different personalities... even if I'm always the same, when I'm with her. I'm me... I think.

«Don't worry, Nami. It's a pleasure to listen to you two. You know, they say that the couples who quarrel a lot ends up being the most passionate ones once they are togheter.»

At grandpa's words, my heart skips a beat.

Nami and I? _Togheter_?

«What the heck? I'll never get togheter with someone like her!»

I'm almost shouting, as I point at her without looking at her face. I don't want to see her face confirming my own words.

«There's NO WAY I would get togheter with him. Not even if he was the only man on the Earth!»

Stab!

I glace at her profile. She's not looking at me, either, but I can't see any doubt in her expression.

My chest starts aching once again.

See, grandpa? We are not getting togheter: she doesn't want to.

Anyway, he doesn't seem to mind. He just smiles at us like he knows better, before glancing at the watch.

«It's getting late. Will you be okay on your way home, Nami?»

She nods.

«It's okay. My home is only ten minutes from here. I'll be there in no time.»

Yes, her home is not far, but it's really late and darker than usual. Once she told me she doesn't like dark places: what if she's scared? And what if someone tries to hurt her? What if...?

«I'll see you home» I blurt out before my mind can make up another "What if?"

Nami stares at me with big eyes. Grandpa looks surprised, too.

Come on! What are those faces? I'm just being polite! Is it so unlike me to be kind, once in a while?

«Well... If it's not a problem with you...» she mutters, looking at me like she saw me for the first time.

Damn you, Nami! Don't look at me like that!

Grandpa's smile becomes wider, and he pats my shoulder with so much power that he almost makes me fall on the floor.

«Hey! Take it easy, grandpa!»

«This is my grandson! Finally you show a little bit of manners! Maybe you're not completely hopeless, after all!»

While I check if my shoulder is still alright, he turns toward Nami.

«You two can go. I'll close here, so don't worry about _anything_.»

He walks away, smiling from ear to ear and whistling by himself.

Is if just me, or is he really trying to MATCHMAKE?

...Not that I would complain...

Ten minutes later, Nami and are walking along the street that leads to her home.

I know where she lives: I don't usually walk her home after work, but I do it when we come back late after a date. I don't see why everyone was so surprised when I offered to do it tonight. It's not like I'm an hopeless jerk, right?

...Well, almost an year ago, on a day she was particularly angry at me, Nami said I was. Did she change her mind a little?

From when we left Sangoshou, she hasn't spoken a word. Perhaps she's waiting for me to say something, but I don't know where to start.

We always have something to say when we quarrel; why can't we talk when we are not?

«...Hey, Teru...»

As always, a tickling feeling rise up from my chest when she calls my name.

She started using my first name only recently: the day before she still called me with her grumpy "Saeki", and the day after she suddenly turned to my first name. When she did, I told her to shut up because everyone could hear us; I had no problems in letting her use it in private, though. It still surprises me: I have to get used to it.

«What?»

«...I'm sorry if whatever I do pisses you off.»

...Eh? What is she talking about, now? Still, she looks really concerned. Did I miss something?

«This is right, but you do it so many times that now I don't really get what are you talking about.»

Translation: "I don't know what you're talking about, because you didn't piss me off recently".

She starts playing with a strand of her short hair, without directly looking at me.

«We always end up quarreling, but I noticed that most of the times I'm the one who does or says something wrong...»

"If you do or say something wrong, it's usually because I made you. So I should apologize, not you."

This is what I'm thinking, but the words turn out differently yet again.

«You just have to accept the fact that I'm _always _right. Deal with it. For example, the thing about before...»

«Yes, about that...»

She stops playing with her hair to look up at me with a smile.

«Well, I wanted to tell you this, but we started quarrelling and I forgot: it's true that I hate coffee, but the one you make is not that bad. Remember the first day I didn't mess up any order and you treated me as a reward? I kind of liked it.»

Okay, now I'm done for. Why does she have to say cute things like that?

I turn my face away, pretending to concentrate on the road. I hope there are no opened manholes along the way, or I'll end up down there without even realizing it.

«Well, if you like it... you just have to ask.»

«Thank you.»

Silence again.

She talked before, so I feel like it's my turn to speak but the only things that comes in my mind would be too embarassing for me, or would make her angry. But, if I just start to say something, maybe the rest will come naturally. I never had problems talking, before I met her.

«Ehi, listen...» I start, but I'm not the only one. Right when I started talking, she did the same.

We looked at each other and started laughing.

Man, this was awkward!

«What is it?» she asks, still half-laughing.

«No, you first. What were you saying?»

She coughs a couple of times, to chokes the laugher, before turning serious again. Well, not that serious: she was still smiling and looked kind of exited when she started talking.

«Yesterday I was making an errand for my mother downtown and I ran into Harii near the station.»

STOP RIGHT THERE! Hariya?

...Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like that?

Kounoshin Hariya is in our same year at school and he's sort of a friend of mine. Yeah, sort of. We do get along, somehow... when he doesn't bug me about calling him "Harii" like the others do (I'll NEVER do it just because I don't want to give him this satisfaction), about teaching him how do I make my hair stay the way they are (he still doesn't believe it when I say I don't do anything special) or when he doesn't insult my sense of rhythm (Okay, he's right, it sucks... but he seems to enjoy making fun of me. Not everyone is born to be a rockstar, you know?).

Anyway, despite these flaws, I always though him to be a nice guy... until he and Nami met.

From then on, they have been all buddy-buddy everytime they were togheter. They have similiar music tastes, they like the same kind of food and they have the same way to look at life. They are a perfect couple, to say the least...

...And I don't like that.

What a surprise, eh?

Now you get why I've got a bad feeling about it?

«What was he doing, there?» I force myself to ask, even if I'd prefer to close the conversation right now.

«There's no need to make that sour face, Teru. He wasn't doing anything suspitious. He was just handing out flyers for the live performance of his band, Friday night. It looks like the finally made it!»

Oh, it was only this? So nothing happened, right?

Good. And Hariya is one step closer to his dream. I'm glad for him, but... does this mean that I'll have to stand him going on and on about how great he is even more than before?

It will be though.

It will be really though. Maybe I should try the "chop" tecnique with Hariya, too? Every time he speaks a little too much...

I'm cradling myself in this sweet thoughts, when suddently Nami speaks out the most horrible, most terribile, most disgusting thruth in the whole world.

«He invited me to go see him.»

I feel my blood turn into ice, as her words echoes in my ears as if she screamed them from the top of a mountain.

I stop dead on my tracks, and she goes on for a few steps, before realizing I'm not following her.

She turns around, confused.

«Teru? What is it? You're green.»

«WHAT DID HE DO?»

Nami looks at me with big eyes, mesmerized. Did I shout so loud? Well, it's not like I care right now.

«He invited me to go see him.»

AAAARGH! Nami, I didn't ask you to repeat it!

«HOW IRRESPONSIBILE OF HIM! Doesn't he know what could happen to a girl who goes alone at a concert? All that crowd! And you're so short! Everyone will stomp on you like a carpet, and you'll be DEAD before the end! And then it will be HIS FAULT!»

If I stopped before, now I'm walking so fast that Nami has problems to keep up.

I don't know what I'm saying and I don't care. I just want to find Hariya and _turn him into a bloody pulp!_

«First of all, I'm not short. And then, it's not like it's the first time I go at a concert, and I'm still alive!»

«Maybe, but it will finish late at night! You know what may happen if you hang around the streets at that hour?»

«Well, I can always ask him to walk me home after the concert.»

«NO, YOU CAN'T!»

Just wait, Hariya! When I'll find you, I'll break both of your legs and use them to play golf! Or cricket is better?

«Listen, Teru: I'm one of the few people who heard Harii's songs when he was still composing them. He says I've been of great help, and that's why he wants me to listen to his band's concert...»

...Will it be painful enough if I'll tear the teeth out of his mouth one by one? Then maybe I could make some kind of necklace out of them and wear it as a trophy! Or is a bracelet better?

«What would you do if a friend asked you a favor? Would you turn him down like that?»

...Yes, a bracelet is definitely better. It's more discreet, and I could show it only when I wanted. But before that, I have to find a way to make the corpse disappear...

«So, if you don't want to come, I'll go on my own, but...»

...Hey, wait a sec. She said: "If you don't want to come..."

I stop dead on my tracks again.

«_Wait right there!_ Are you asking me to come with you?»

She raises her eyebrows, even more perplexed.

«Is there something wrong about it?»

«Nooo! It's perfectly okay!»

...Hariya, I don't know what you had in mind when you invited her, but I forgive you!

I realize that she's mesmerized by my sudden change of mood, and I try to get back on my feet.

«Aehm... I mean... If I'm with you, it will probably be okay. It's not like I'm glad about going. It's just that I don't want to feel guilty if you died. That's all.»

«If you're not glad, than why are you grinning like that? It's... pretty scary.»

«I'm not grinning at all. I'm not even smiling. I'm perfectly serious. Can't you see that?»

She shakes her head, staring sharply at my face.

«If smiling from ear to ear means being serious...». She shrugs and keeps on talking, while we start walking toward her house again. «Anyway, my friend Haruhi will come, too. She doesn't want to admitt it, but it's obvious she likes Harii. Wouldn't they be a cute couple?»

I nod with all my enthusiasm.

«Yes. Absolutely. No doubt about it.»

As long as he doesn't steal you away, I'm good with everything.

We keep on talking about the upcoming concert, until we finally reach Nami's house. There, she stops and walks in front of me to say goodbye.

«Well, thank you for walking me home. I'll see you tomorrow at school, right?»

I nod.

«It's not like I have a choice. Goodnight, then.»

«Goodnight.»

Despite our goodbyes, nobody moves. We are still standing there, looking at each other.

I don't want to go. Maybe she doesn't, too. Who knows?

«Teru, before you go, I wanted to ask you something» she finally says with the mischevious grin I know so well.

«Go on.»

«When I told you Harii invited me... were you jealous?»

My heart stops.

Heck! Did she notice?

«Who? Me? Of course not! Why should I?»

Of course I was. Why shouldn't I?

«I don't know, but it looked like you were.»

«You need glasses more then I do, then. I wasn't jealous.»

«Yes, you were.»

«No, I wasn't.»

She comes one step closer. Too close. I step backward, trying to keep a security distance.

«You know, there's nothing wrong about it» she whispers in a charming way. «Just be honest. Are you jealous?»

Does she knows that, when she looks at me like that, I lose my mind? Does she realize that I'm under her spell, whatever she says or does?

«Well, kind of... NO!»

I manage to come back to reality right before confessing the truth. I quickly turn away from her, before she can use one of her tricks again.

«I told you I'm not jealous, so stop insisting! Period!»

Nami sighs and step backward, giving me the possibility to relax.

«You are always the same: you're never honest.»

I glare at her.

«Say, Nami: do you want to be _chopped_ so badly? Because you're crossing the line.»

She quickly hides her head with the arms.

«No! Sorry! I was joking!»

I told you: the "chop tecnique" works even by just talking about it. This time she gave me some troubles, but I won once again.

Before I could mock her, though, the voice of a woman coming from her house stopped me.

«Naaaaami! The street is not the right place to quarrel with your boyfriend! It's late, so say goodbye and come in!»

Boyfriend... Eh... I wish.

Nami turns toward the window where the voice came from.

«Coming, Mom!»

As the window closes, she turns around again to look at me.

«Goodbye, then. See you at school.»

A part of myself doesn't want to let her go, but I know I have no choice. No reason to feel sad, right? I'll see her again tomorrow. It's not like she's going to disappear forever, once she'll be in that house.

«See you.»

Before going, she suddently stand on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek.

If she shot me, she would have the same effect. I couldn't feel anything, except for my blood running toward my face. I knew I was becoming red, but, for once, I didn't care.

«Your family... might have... seen that...»

I can barely drag my voice out of my throath. I don't even know what I'm saying: I can only hear a little voice screaming in joy inside of my head, while another voice keeps asking: "Why?"

Nami shrugs.

«They think you're my boyfriend, anyway.»

And then, without another word, she turns away and run toward the door, dissappearing from my sight.

As soon as the door closes with its clicking sound, I drag my feet on the way back home, an hand on the cheek she kissed. I'm in shock, so I don't know how I feel. I should be happy, but I can't help but feel a little sad.

That girl is so slow! When will she realize that she can't play with me like that? Does she think it's easy to play the part of the friend with someone you like? This little games... asking me if I was jealous, kissing my cheek, coming closer all of a suddend... are making me lose my sanity!

But, then again, if I didn't have this, I'd have nothing at all...

How long will it be like this? How long will I have to be jealous of you, before I can finally catch you?


	4. Love blooms in a sinful closet

**LOVE BLOOMS IN A "SINFUL" CLOSET**

«Saeki! Come on! This is a school trip, you know? A s-c-h-o-o-l t-r-i-p! It's not time to be antisocial! Get out of there right now!»

I already told you that I like Hariya, in a way, but sometimes being with him is really, really tiring. I had a bad feeling as soon as I've been told I'd be in the same room as him and, as always, I was completely right.

As soon as the teacher stopped keeping a close eye on us, Hariya managed to organize an hyper-pillow-fight-tournament, meaning that right now the room is in chaos... in spite of those like me, who would have wanted to sleep. It's not about being antisocial: It's about being tired in a way they cannot even understand.

I tried to sneak inside of a closet, but there seems to be no way to escape from Hariya, who decided that I _must_ partecipate in the pillow fight, no matter what.

«I'm just doing you a favor» I say, opening the closet enough to show him part of my face. «If I partecipated, I would win without any doubt. It would be boring, wouldn't it, Hariya?»

«HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO CALL ME "HARII"?»

«There's no way in hell I'd ever call you that, _Hariya_.»

He glare at me and snorts, but give up without trying further. He knows I won't call him "Harii" no matter how much he bugs me about it.

«Anyway, I assure you that you won't win» he says, changing the subjects. «Don't forget that...»

"_...that it's Harii-sama you're talking with" _I complete the sentence in my mind, sighing.

«...that it's Harii-sama you're talking with!»

See? He's predictable.

I wear the most evil smirk and tease him as he deserves.

«Yeah, I'm Harii-sama, the best in the world! And, if you don't do as Harii-sama says, Harii-sama will annoy you 'til the end of your life! Everybody, bow in front of Harii-sama, the Emperor of the World!»

«Hey! Who's that supposed to be? Shut up!»

«Oh, you're right! Emperor is not enough for Harii-sama! I should have said "Harii-sama the Shining God", Ruler of the Whole Universe!»

«SAAAAEEEEEKIIIIII!»

Ah ah ah! Hariya being predictable, it's easy to figure out what to do to annoy him. It would be even too easy, but the face he does is enough to keep me entertained, even after two years of teasing.

«Want me to stop? Then let me sleep in peace. Goodnight, "Harii-sama"!»

I slam the door of the closet and prepare to sleep, but Hariya hasn't given up yet.

«Saeki! I told you to get out of there and enter the pillow fight contest RIGHT NOW!»

«No way!» I answer from behind the closed door.

«Then I'll make you!»

The door slams open again and Hariya throw himself inside of the closet and jumps on me. Somehow, using my surprise to his advange, he manages to get a hold of my arms and drag me out of there.

...I didn't expect him to be this strong, actually. He's shorter and more slender than I am; that's why. Anyway, since I'm not exactly... aehm... letting him do as he pleases and kind of...*cough cough*... kick him wherever I manage to, we both end up falling on the ground.

I get up on my knees before him, planning a revenge, when I see my shadow and realize that there's something wrong about it.

MY HAIR IS A MESS!

«Hariya! Now you've done it!»

Hariya, still lying on the ground, slowly get up to face me and, as soon as he sees me, his expression changes.

«Erm... Come on, Saeki, don't look at me like that. I-it's not that terrible, you know?»

He slowly steps backward, while I get closer and closer.

«Now I get you and turn your hair into the most messed up thing in the world! Is that okay with you, "Harii-sama"?»

«Maybe you mean "messy"?»

«No, I mean "messed up"!»

«C-come on, Saeki... Stop joking...!»

«I'm not _joking!_ I _never _joke!»

I rush toward him. He tries to dodge on the side, but he's too slow: I grab him for his neck, close his head in a headlock and start messing his hair.

Ah! Sweet revenge! Maybe now he'll stop being such an hassle and finally let me sleep!

«Ok! I give up! I give up! Just let my hair be!»

«No way, "Harii-sama"! You have to pay for what you did! But, if you want me to let you go, you could promise that you'll let me be at least for the next year. What do you say?»

He shakes his arms blindly, trying to grab my shoulder and free his head.

«I... I...» he chokes, as I tighten the headlock.

If I insist a little more, maybe he'll give up. Or he'll choke to death. Either way, I win. I'm already imagining a peaceful year without Hariya to bug me, when...

«I don't get it: is this a pillow fight or a wrestling match?»

We hear a female voice coming from the entrance of the room and, as we both raise our heads (Hariya's one still locked in my hold), we see the figures of two girls standing there, both of them looking at us.

The one who talked is Haruhi Nishimoto, a generically popular girl with whom I talked to a couple of times mostly because she's Nami's best friend; the other is Nami herself, who looks at us with her usual amused smirk.

My reaction is immediate, and I'm so used to it that I could describe everyone of its stages.

Paralisys.

A warm grasp around my chest.

Hot rush of blood running toward my face.

Quicker pulses.

Yeah, I'm really used to it, but this doesn't mean that I'm at ease. Everytime I see her, I feel helpless; and I _hate_ feeling helpless.

I let Hariya go, and he falls headfirst on the ground.

«Ouch! Mind what you're doing, Saeki!»

«What the heck... I-I mean, what are you two doing here?» I ask the girls, ignoring him.

Every time I'm with Nami and someone else, I don't know how to behave. Fighting between the instinct of behaving as usual with her and the necessity of being polite with "someone else" is really hard. Now, I don't really mind about Hariya: he has seen enough of my "Side B" to have an idea of how I am outside school, but I barely know Haruhi Nishimoto, so she's the perfect "someone else" kind of person.

«We heard some noises coming from this room and we came to check things out» Nami answers. «I see you're having fun.»

She points at the pillows flying everywhere and I shrug.

«Actually, I was trying to sneak away and have a good sleep, but Hariya doesn't seem to like the idea. It would be better for the both of you to head back to...»

«NAMI, HELP ME! SAEKI'S CRAZY!»

Hariya jumps between us and clings to her like a koala.

_Stab!_

I'm hit by the usual, painful feeling of a knife piercing my stomach, like everytime I see Hariya and Nami being all friendly with each other. The only thing I can think of is tearing him away from her.

«He started beating me out of the blue! He should be locked in!»

«Really! I thought I was the only one who thought that!»

«So you're my ally!»

«If I have to choose between being his and your ally, I'd always choose you!» she answer, laughing.

_Stab again!_

So she'd choose him over me?

My stomachache increases and I feel the urge of punching Hariya right on his nose.

I think my face is becoming green.

And I'm not the only one. As I glance toward Nishimoto, I see that her face is as green as mine as she looks at them.

«Really? Nami, you're great! Give me five!»

«Alright, Harii!»

...If they don't stop being all buddy-buddy right now, there will be a massacre. If I won't kill Hariya, Nishimoto will do it.

Then, like a signal of the destiny, one of the flying pillow lands in my arms. I didn't do anything to get it: it just do, and I automatically get a hold of it.

A pillow...

I grab its edges with both of my hands and slam it on Hariya's head, making him fall on the ground for the third time in a few minutes... and, more importantly, saparating him from Nami.

«Ouch! Saeki! Take it easy! What got into you, all of a sudden?» he moans, massaging his head.

«Really, Teru. Your face is scary» Nami says, then points at my forehead with her finger. «Look: your veins are pulsing!»

I don't answer: I'm still angry because before she picked Hariya instead of me. Instead, I look down at Hariya, showing him the pillow like a trophy.

«You wanted me to enter the pillow fight? Ok, then: I'm in; but _you_'ll fight against me.»

Hariya blinks, then shows his famous evil smirk as he stands up.

«If you put it this way, I accept. Let's decide the rules, then.»

I shrug, standing in front of him with my arms crossed and my most ferocious glare.

«I'll let you do it. I'm good with everything.»

Hearing us, Nishimoto starts squeeling in joy.

«Did you hear, Nami? It's a duel! So romantic!»

«I don't get it: what's so romantic about two guys hitting themselves with pillows?» she answers, scratching her head.

«Because he's doing it for you! It's to show his rival and everybody else that you belong with him and nobody else! I read about it in so many novels!»

Nami turns toward me with a questioning look, but I pretend not to notice, turning quickly toward Hariya before she could notice I was listening.

«I doubt it» I her her answering, before Hariya's voice takes me back to reality.

«Saeki! Are you listening?»

«Of course I'm listening!» I reply rudely, irritated by him interrupting my pondering about Nami's last sentence.

He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question me further, busy with organizing the duel.

«So, listen: this is my part of the field and this is yours» he explains, putting a pair of pillows on the ground as a barrier between the two part. «We put six pillows per side and we try to throw as many as we can on the other side. If you are hit by the other party's pillow, you have to stay still for ten seconds, unless you manage to block it. If you do, you can continue the fight. If you manage to launch all of the pillows on your field on the other side, you win.»

«Kinda like dodgeball, then.»

He smirks.

«Yeah, kinda. You think you'll make it?»

«Of course I can. I _always _win, remember?»

Hariya's grin grow wider at my words.

«There one last condition, though.»

I tap my foot on the floor, even more irritated than before. I hate that suspence thingie: if he has something in mind, why don't he just say it?

Meanwhile, some of the other guys who are fighting next to us hear us talking and understand what's going on.

«Hey, Harii and Saeki are making a duel!» someone screams.

«The Prince vs. the Band Guy! This will be interesting!» says someone else.

«Why is that? They want to make a contest of popularity using pillows?»

In a few moments everyone stops fighting and gather around us to see what we are up to. As soon as everyone is there, Hariya decides that he has enough audience to make his last announcement.

He points the finger at the girls.

«Haruhi and Nami are entering, too; and they'll choose on which side they want to be!»

Both me and the girls flinch in surprise, as a choir of whistles rises from the audience. At this point, they must have understood what we are dueling about.

Hariya, you've done it! Now you'll die a _slow_, _painful_ death!

«What? Us?» Nami asks, staring Hariya with big eyes.

«Yes, you two! Some problem with that?»

Nishimoto starts jumping up and down with enthusiasm.

«Wow! We get to enter a duel! We'll do it! Right, Nami?»

She blinks, still in surprise.

«Okay, then...»

Hariya claps and, with a gesture of the hand, invites them to come closer.

«Good choice, ladies! Then, which side are you on? Nami, you decide first.»

As Nami look alternately me and Hariya, I look at the ground, trying not to close my ears with the hands and start singing out loud.

If she chooses him, I don't want to hear it. I already had my part of suffering for today, thanks.

«I'll go with Teru, then.»

I quickly raise my head to look at her, as another choir of whistles raises from the audience.

«Did you hear?» I hear someone say. «She called him by his first name! So it wasn't only a rumor that they are going out togheter!»

Stupid Nami! How many times do I have to tell her not to call my name when we are with the others?

...Oh, well! She chose me, in the end! Maybe I'll forgive her... after a little chop as a punishment, of course!

Hariya looks a little bit disappointed, but doesn't make any comment.

«Then you're with me, Haruhi?»

Nishimoto stares at him blankly for a few seconds, blushing wildly, before running by his side with more enthusiasm than what she wants to show.

«Well, if I really have to!»

Meanwhile, Nami comes to my side of the battlefield and stands behind me, ready to start.

«Don't worry, boss! I'm right here with you! I won't leave your side no matter what!»

Idiot, idiot Nami! Don't say these kind of things: I could take you seriously.

«If I lose because of you, I'll chop you like I've never chopped you before» I threathen her, without turning around. I don't want her to see me: right now it would be as if I had "I've fallen for you" written all over my face.

«We won't lose. We are the Sangoshou team, after all» she whispers, so that only I can hear it.

Sangoshou team... Yeah, I like the sound of that!

We dispose the six pillow on the field and prepare to battle. The guys of the audience are helping out too, while some of them are already making bets on who'll win.

...I'd prefer if they kept on playing on their own.

«Saeki team, are you ready?» Hariya asks, him and Nishimoto already on position.

«And you, Hariya? Are you ready to die?» I taunt him.

He smirks.

«We'll see about that». He raises his arm, then let it drop as a start signal. «Let's battle!»

We all throw ourselves on the pillows lying on the floor. I'm the first one who manages to grab one and throw it toward Hariya. No need to say that I don't really care about the outcome: I just want to hit him as many times as I can.

Unfortunately, he manages to dodge it and my pillow hits Nishimoto, who was standing behing him, ready to launch. Her pillow fall on the ground.

«Oh, crap!» she scream in rage, now forced to stay put.

Meanwhile, Nami manages to block the pillow Hariya has thrown at her, sending it back at him and hitting him on the shoulder.

Wow! She's more skillful than I thought!

My enemy being forced to stay still, I manage to grab two pillows and throw the both of them at him, hitting him without fail and making him lose his balance once again.

«Teru, you know that there was no need to hit him? He can't move!» Nami scolds me, while throwing another pillow in their half of the field.

«I know, but _I like it!_»

«Ahhh! Boys...»

She rolls her eyes and tries to grab the last pillow remaining on our field, but right then Nishimoto's penalty ends and, with the corner of my eyes, I see her throw a pillow in our field, aiming directly at Nami. Busy taking the pillow from the ground, she didn't notice...

I dash in front of her and the pillow hits me on the stomach. It almost fall on the ground but, somehow, I'm quick enough to grab it before it falls.

Blocked!

«Take it back!»

I throw it back at her. She dodges it in the nick of time but, meanwhile, Nami got a hold on our last pillow, throwing it in their field. Hariya, now free from his penalty, dashes toward it to grab it before it falls, and manages to touch it with the top of the fingers, but it's too late. It falls on the ground and our field remains empty.

«Saeki team wins!» I announce between the screaming of the audience. «How does it feels to fail, _Harii-sama_?»

Hariya glares at me and sits on one of the pillows, pouting like a small child. But he doesn't have the time to behave like a kid, because Nishimoto throw herself at him, grabbing his hair and pulling it with all of her strength.

«You moron! It's all your fault if we lost! Why couldn't you get that damn pillow?»

«Ouch! Haruhi! Take it easy! Let my hair be!»

Watching this scene, I can't refrain my laughter. Now Hariya is really getting his share of troubles! I almost pity him.

Almost.

Right then, as I was busy looking at them, something soft and warm wraps around my waist and I feel a small body pressing against my back.

I have no need to turn around to understand who owns these arms.

Nami...

«I told you Sangoshou team can't lose!» she giggles, hugging me even more strongly.

My mind is blank. I can't think about anything at all, but I know –I _feel it_- that I'm not happy. I'm suffering.

It happens a lot, lately. I remember that, when I first started crossing the "friendship border", if she happened to touch me, even by mistake, I was euphoric. Now I suffer as if I got a fever. It may not make sense at first, but...

Heck, what would you do if you had to play for months the role of the friend with the one you like? It's the most painful thing in the world: sometimes, it looks like it's going to kill you.

«So, are you still going to always pick Hariya over me as an ally?» I ask, frowing.

I'm sure she was joking when she said that, but I can't help it: I'm jealous, yes. Who wouldn't?

Nami chuckles, and I feel her pressing her forehead against my shoulder.

«Are you still angry about that? I was joking.»

«...I don't like these jokes.»

I didn't want to say it out loud, but I did. I just whispered it, so maybe she didn't hear it...

Then she steps in front of me, showing me that beautiful, charming and mischevious smirk of hers.

«Are you jealous again?»

Every time she asks me the same question, and every time I answer the same way, no matter how jealous I am. No matter how much I'd like to finally scream out loud how much I hate her to smile and joke around other guys, I always say the same thing.

«Not in the least.»

She sighs. Am I just seeing things, or her shoulders dropped a little?

«I'm not going to make fun of you if you'll admit it, you know? There's nothing wrong if you're a little jealous of your best friend.»

Maybe it's so, but you're not only my best friend. You are...

«Why do you always have to insist like this? I told you I'm not! Period.»

I almost shouted, startling her. She stares me as she'd look a madman, before frowning and looking down, offended.

Ah... No good. Our relationship will _never _progress if we keep following this path!

Grandpa is right: I'm hopeless. But as hopeless as I am, maybe I could still make it, if _something_ happened...

A little hint...

A signal...

_Whatever!_

«WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT ROOM?»

The voice of a teacher startle us, dragging us back to reality. Nobody realized how much noise we all were making, and finally the "authorities" are retaliating. Moreover, Nami and Nishimoto are still here: if they find two girls in the guys' room, we'll all be in big trouble!

«EVERYONE! HIDE! QUICK!» we hear someone say.

After that, everything happens so fast that I can barely understand what's going on: I run toward the first hiding place that comes in my mind: one of the closets. I hear Nami's footsteps behind me and understand that she's running in my same direction.

Without thinking, I grab her hand and drag her with me. She's not resisting, and her thin, soft fingers close around my hand.

Holding her hand like that makes my adrenaline level rise and helps me run even faster.

We are in front of the closet: almost safe!

I slam the door open and slide inside, taking Nami with me. We manages to lock the door right before someone on the outside turns off the light.

We're safe, I think. We only have to hope that nobody will find us there, or they may get the wrong idea.

«Teru, where are you? I can't see anything!» I hear Nami's voice whispering in the darkness.

She tries to find me, but she can't see where she's going and ends up stepping on my leg.

Pain rises from somewhere around my knee, making me almost scream.

«Ouch! Nami, that's my leg!» I groan.

«Oh! I'm sorry... Wait just a sec...»

She tries to pull away, but stumbles _again _over my already aching leg and fall toward me, hitting me in the stomach with her knee.

The pain so sharp that it completely cuts my breath.

...I don't know what's holding me from swearing out loud.

«DAMN! Are you going to stop this? You're killing me!» I scold her, whispering furiously.

«I'm trying to leave you alone, but I can't see anything!»

«Stay put, then!»

«But...»

«They'll catch us this way! SHUT UP!»

Searching blindly in the darkness, somehow I manage to find her arm. I grab it and pull her toward me. She falls against my chest: I hear her holding her breath, before she stops talking.

Whoa! For a moment there, I though we were done for!

But, as soon as I don't hear her voice anymore, I realize the situation we're in: we are in a very narrow, dark closet, surrounded only by spare sheets and pillows. And she, Nami herself, is lying in my arms, her head on my shoulder, her hair tickling my cheek. I can feel every breath she takes, smell the scent of her skin mixed with the one of the soap she uses...

I twitch slightly when her hand clings to the fabric of my jersey, not far from my heart.

My pulses are getting faster and faster and, what's worse, she can feel it too!

I want to die. I want to earth to swallow me and die.

...But, well... it's not that bad after you get the hang of it. Being so close to her, feeling her warmth and all of her movements is the closest I've ever got to the images I see in my dreams. Unfortunately, even after my eyes got used to the darkness, I can still see only the outline of her body; maybe it's better this way, though. If I can't see her, she can't see me either; and, about the heartbeat, maybe she'll think it's only because of the adrenalin.

I can enjoy this moment, if only for a few seconds. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance like this one?

Hesitantly, I surround her waist with my arms, pulling her a little closer. Her scent immediately invades my nostrils, benumbing me.

«Teru...?»

She moves in my arms, maybe trying to look at my face.

It's useless, Nami: you can't see me. It's too dark.

«Shhh! They're coming!»

Right then, we hear the door opening on the outside and a teacher's footsteps. Everything else it's quiet.

It looks like an horror movie: the hero and the heroine are locked in a closet, while the crazy murderer looks around the room for them.

As this thought cross my mind, I hold Nami even closer: no murderer will touch _my_ heroine as long as I'm here!

«...Mhhh... It looks like this is not the room.»

We hear the footsteps again, but this time, instead of getting closer, they are getting farther.

_No! Don't go away! Come back here! If you go away, I'll have to let Nami go!_

But the teacher can't hear my prayer. Without mercy, he opens the door and get out, leaving only the silence behind.

«I think it's over» Nami whispers.

Her breath caress my neck with every word she says, and I shiver. I don't even get what she's talking about. It feels like a coma of sort: I can hear her voice, but I can't react. I can't release her, too.

She moves again in my arms and I realize she's trying to pull away once again. This is enough to take me back from my Zombie Mode: following the instinct, I hold her closer... so close that her whole body is pressed against mine.

It feels good! She suits perfectly in my arms, as if she was born to be there!

«Teru...?» she whispers frantically when she finds herself back in the position she was trying to leave.

«They didn't turn on the light. Maybe it's not safe yet.»

She moves: maybe she's trying to look up toward me again.

«Okay, than. Let's wait.»

She rests her head on my shoulder again, like she's comfortable with it.

Yes, I like it. Don't part. Let's stay like this a little longer...

«What are you thinking?» I ask her after a few seconds, when I realize she's been a little too quiet for a while.

It's a question I don't ask her often, but I always think about it.

What is she thinking, when she suddenly falls silent? What lies behind that thoughful silence of hers? Sometimes I think about it so much it drives me crazy.

The truth is that, when I don't understand what passes through her mind, I get scared: I feel like she's far away from me, locked in a place I cannot enter. Sometimes it makes me feel so helpless that I can't take it anymore, and end up asking her that question: "What are you thinking?"

It may sound stupid, but that's the way it is. _It's_ stupid. I'm stupid, too. Men _are_ stupid when it comes to understanding women; I know this myself, and I'm a man.

«I was just thinking...» she answers and, by the tone of her voice, I understand that she's smiling. «You don't hate me anymore, do you?»

...What? What is she saying? Hating her! As if it was even possible!

«You're annoying, but I don't think I've ever hated you. When you are not being slow and foolish, I kind of... like you.»

«I'm glad. At first, I thought you seriously hated me because of... You-Know-What.»

...Well, I have to admit that I _kind of_ hated the fact that she knew, yes. But I didn't hate her as a person: as I said, she was just a little annoying.

Then we kissed...

«Even if I did hate you, a couple of chops would have been enough to take you on the right path. They always work.»

She punches me on the shoulder.

«You sadist! Demon! I don't know why I'm spending my time with an hopeless jerk like you!»

She tries to act offended, but there's a laugheter in her voice.

I love when she laugh. I love when she smiles. I love when she scolds me and when we quarrel. I love that mysterious, sweet feeling of familiarity I get when I'm with her.

I love whatever she says or does.

«Maybe because this hopeless jerk would be done for, if you weren't there.»

«...Eh?»

Nami twitches and looks up at me. I can't see her face, but I can feel her confusion.

I understand her: this is the bravest thing I've ever said to her. I'm surprised myself. It's not a lie, though: I may speak only half-thruths, but I never lie. Not to the ones I love.

And I love you, Nami. I really do. Don't you realize it?

Before we can speak another word, someone turns on the light. Some white, bright rays enter the closet from the leaks under the door and I can finally see her face. She looks cute with her cheeks a little flushed because of embarassement and her eyes open wide in surprise. As cute as a teddy bear.

If I don't let her go, I'll kiss her RIGHT NOW! It's not like it would be a bad thing, but I really don't want to scare her: she already had enough shocks for today. Not as many as I did, but I'm used to them; she isn't.

Even if my heart is aching because of it, I let her go.

«I guess we can go out, now. The light is back on.»

«Teru, wait a sec...»

I pretend not to hear and open the door, trying to ignore the feelings of regret and desire.

I love you, Nami.

It's the first time I see what I feel for you for what it is and I have to admitt it's really scary. I didn't want it to happen, but it happened. I'm sorry.

Still, I'm glad it's you and not somebody else.

I love you.

I jump out of the closet and see that everybody else is already there, sighing in relief.

«That was close!» says Hariya, sitting on the floor beside a very pale Nishimoto. «He almost caught us! Why did you have to sneeze right when he was beside us, Haruhi?»

«It's not my fault! Your hair was tickling me, idiot! Why don't you cut it, already!»

«Are you saying that _I _should cut my hair? Are you joking? This hairdo will be copied by thousands of fans, when I'll be famous!»

...The more I look at these two, the more they look like Nami and I when we quarrel. Maybe they'll end up togheter, someday.

«Give me a call when it happens, _Harii-sama_» I tease him while going toward them.

Nami gets out of the closet, too, and quickly joins us. Nishimoto greets her friend with a naughty smile.

«Nami, here you are! ...Were you two hiding togheter?»

At her words, a tense silence falls between the four of us. Nami looks at her feet, blushing, while Hariya's relaxed grin turns into a killer glare. He's certainly thinking about making a massacre, exactly like I though before.

I don't care, anyway. I got to spend the best minutes of my life alone with Nami, so I won. I'm the winner of today's battle, and he knows it: that's why he's so upset.

I can't help but smirking, as I realize that he's now as jealous as I was before.

Sweet revenge!

For a second there, I consider taking Nami's hand and hold her close to my side like a boyfriend would do just to see his reaction, but a quick glance at her makes me change my mind.

I've never seen her so flustered before, not even when we kissed. If I hug her again now, she'll get even more embarassed and I don't want her to be angry at me. Moreover, everyone is watching...

Nishimoto doesn't seem to figure out what's the meaning of our silence. Her grin grows wider as she looks at Nami's embarassed face.

«Did something happen?»

Heh, well... kind of...

«Stop saying nonsense, Haruhi!» Nami scolds her. «We almost got in trouble here because of _your _idea! It's better if we go back to our room!»

«Yeah, you should» Hariya says sharply.

His face is almost as red as his hair and he's puffing his cheeks so much that it looks like he's going to explode any second now.

«Then, goodnight, guys! We had fun!»

Nishimoto waves at us, while Nami drags her away toward the door.

«'night.» Hariya mutters.

He looks like he's waiting for the girls to go away to hit me in the face, but I don't mind. Right now I wouldn't care even if the world itself ended: the only thing I care about is Nami's back figure walking toward the door, her hair swinging with every step.

Soon she'll disappear behind the door, and I'm already tasting the emptiness I usually feel every time I walk her home.

As if I'll never see her again.

«Nami...!»

I didn't realize I called her name out loud until I see her stopping in front of the door. She looks at me from over her shoulder. Her cheeks are still red, but her determined look is daring me to try and make fun of her. I love it when she looks at me like that...

«Goodnight. To the both of you.»

I added the last part as good measure, but she knows it's her I'm talking to. Perhaps anyone who knows us a little will understand that.

She smiles briefly and her look softens a little, before she turns around again to open the door.

«Goodnight» she says without looking at me.

The girls go out in the corridor and the door closes behing them, leaving me alone with Hariya and all the other boys. The air is a little calmer than before: maybe they'll finally let me sleep! Who knows: maybe I'll dream about Nami! If I'm lucky, I can dream about what would have happened in the closet if I didn't turn coward in the end. It would make my regret grow, but at least I'll spend a sweet night...

...Unfortunately, I made my plans without Hariya.

As soon as the girls are away, he immediately explodes, roaring at me like a wounded lion and catching a lot of unwanted attentions.

«WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER, _YOU PERV_?»

As always, he's so predictable.

I sigh, resigned. Since I have no choice but hear him out, I can as much have a little fun.

«I wonder...Maybe the same thing you would have done in my place.»

«SAAAAEEEEEKIIIIII! _You pervert!_ You'll pay for this!»

It would be funny to see him so angry... if his reaction wasn't another confirmation of what I already knew: the way he thinks about Nami is not merely platonic.

That's why he deserves to _suffer_!

«Well, whatever happened, I guess I'll have a nap! I'm sure I'll have a lot of sweet dreams, tonight! You know why, don't you?»

...Maybe Nami's right: I must be a sadist, after all.

I grab my pillow and sheets (which ended up in the battlefield like everything else) and prepare to go to sleep, but Hariya is not giving up yet and follow me like a very annoying shadow.

«Saeki! You can't go to sleep now! You have to tell me what you did to Nami in that closet, you idiot womanizer!»

«I'll talk only in the presence of my lawyer.»

«You can't just get away with it!»

«Since you don't cut it out, I'll sleep in the closet. The one I was in with Nami. Goodnight, _Harii-sama!_»

I drag pillow and sheet to the closet and throw them inside, while Hariya hangs to my arm, trying to stop me from entering.

«Don't you dare to go in that sinful closet again! I haven't done with you yet!»

«Yes, you have.»

«What makes you think that?»

«Because I say so.»

With those last words, I shake him off and enter the closet: he tries to stop me again, but I manage to close the door in his face right in the nick of time.

«Goodnight, _Harii-sama_! Sweet dreams!» I laught at him from behind the door, while he keeps hitting it to open it.

There's no way. I'm keeping it firmly closed, and I'll keep doing that until he'll finally surrender. He'll have to, sooner or later; and, when he'll do, I'll be free to sleep... and dream...


	5. Mermaid

_Here's a little "Author Note"! Since not everybody played TMGS3, I feel like I should explain what the ADV system is: it's a section of the TMGS3 omake, where you get to read about events who give more insight on the guys, not to mention some in-game events seen from their point of view. It's basically about their past, their issues and also their feelings toward the heroine. The previous games didn't have one: I think it's also because the guys storylines weren't as angsty and complicated as the ones in TMGS3 (Ruka and Kouichi on top of the angsty list). So I decided to make one on Saeki, not only because he's still my favourite TokiMemo prince, but also because, in my opinion, he has the most angsty storyline of the first two games.  
__Oh, and another little thing: I know that Saeki should realize about the identity of the heroine, but I refrained from writing that because the story is still loosely based on my playthrough and, at least from what I remember, he didn't give me any hint of recognizing who the heroine really is until I managed to get some of the special answer of the dates and the almost confessions... and it happened around the end of the second year and the beginning of the third. Unlike Kei, who recognized her immediately, at first Saeki sounded almost as clueless as the heroine. That's why. Up to now, in my fic, he has a certain feeling of "familiarity" when he's with her, but hasn't figured out the details yet..  
__Anyway, thanks everyone for their feedback!  
__Now I leave you to the next chapter (the longest I've ever wrote!). Hope you'll enjoy!_

_**Mermaid**_

«...So, you know, since I'm an only child, I really wanted a brother or a sister to play with, but unfortunately I haven't been lucky. I have a lot of cousins, though. My favourite ones are Miki and Tsukushi: Tsukushi is in middle school and is really popular. I lost the count on how many girlfriends he has. On the other hand, Miki is about three years older than we are and is attending a first rate univerity togheter with her boyfriend. Maybe you've heard of him: he attended Habataki High togheter with her and worked as a model... Oh, and I also have another younger cousin, Misaki, who's attending middle school. She doesn't live here, tough, so I haven't seen her for a while...»  
As we slowly walk along the seashore, Nami's voice rings in my ears like a bell on a the collar of a kitten, mixed with the sound of the waves. She has been talking for a while now, telling me everything about any relative she has: she has something to say about everyone and, judging by her smile, she must really love them all, even the most distant granduncle. I hope they are happy about that, or I couldn't forgive them: if I was loved by her half the way they are, I'd be the happiest man in the world!

Today we went to the Acquarium to see the new Orca Show; then, since we had some time left, we decided to have our usual stroll at the beach, before going back home.  
I really enjoy our dates, but, to be honest, the reason why I keep asking her out is _that_ stroll. Because it's only early spring, the beach is always empty; if no one is around, Nami always sneaks her little hand into mine, as if we were a real couple. With her on one side and the sea on the other, I feel like I'm in my own little heaven: we are in another world and everyone else is far away.  
The only other moment I feel almost as good is when I have a little time to surf: when a good wave comes and I manage to ride it until it disappears, I feel as if a won a battle against the sea. I know it's a war I cannot win. I know the sea is stronger than any human being will ever be. If it wasn't so, I probably wouldn't love it so much. Still, everytime I win one of my battles, I feel like screaming: "I can't beat you, but you can't beat me either!". So I keep on riding my waves and staying underwater until I lose my breath when I swim. Challenging the sea is my way of having fun, and I love every second of it.  
Same with Nami. Even if sometimes I doubt I'll ever be able to win her heart, everytime I manage to make her smile or take her hand or just be a little closer to her it's like a battle I won. She's like the sea to me.  
No, she's even more than the sea. She's...

«...and I think that's all about my family. Next question?»  
She shows her brightest smile, as she finishes talking about her family; then, she silently waits for me to ask the next question.  
It's a little game we always play: one day she asks some questions and I have to answer; the day after that, I can ask her. She invented this game when we realized we were going out almost every Sunday: she said that, since we were getting so close, we had to know something about each other.  
Ever since then, we never stopped playing. At first the questions were harmless: "What do you watch on TV?", "What's your favourite food?", "What kind of music do you like?".  
Than, as time passed and our bond deepened, the questions changed into more personal ones: "What are your projects for the future?", "Do you have any dreams?", "What do you like in a girl/guy?"  
In the past two weeks, they have been particularly embarassing for me: Nami went as far as asking me what I think about love and, even worst, about _kissing_. My situation being what it is, I had some problems giving her a straight answer and I ended up getting flustered and angry. And the worst thing was that she had no idea _why _I was acting that way!  
I love this girl, no doubt about it, but isn't she _slow_?

This time is finally my turn, so I asked her the most harmless questions that came through my mind. I don't want to cause other embarassing moments; I don't want to try and explain _again_ why I can't talk about _that _stuff.  
«Teru? Haven't you though about a question yet?»  
I turn toward her and meet her usual carefree smile. The smile of someone who still doesn't know what thoughts and worries are.  
«Not really. I think I asked you everything.»  
As expected, my answer doesn't satisfy her at all. She puffs her cheeks and glares at me, but doesn't say anything. I know her well enough to understand that, when she doesn't talk, it's because she wants me to ask her what's wrong. It's her way to test me and see if I care, I guess; and, since I _do_ care, I can't do anything but do as she wants.  
«Listen, it's not my fault if you are like an open book: even if I don't ask you, you say everything anyway. You don't leave me many questions to ask.»  
«This is not the point» she mutters, playing with a strand of her hair. «It's just that, if we stop playing, it means that the date is ended and we have to return. I don't want to go back home» she adds in the end in a whisper I can barely hear.  
Her smile disappears and she looks down at her feet like a lost child.

Ah, right! I think I have a slight idea of what the reason is, because it's not the first time that it happens.  
«Have you argued with your parents again?»  
She nods and I sigh in solidarity. Our reasons and situations are different, but I understand her.  
Our second year has ended: after the spring holidays, both Nami and I will be third year students. This means that we'll have to choose what to do with our future.  
Even if she's kind of slow when it comes to romance, Nami is not stupid at all: on the contrary, she's the artist-type who looks like she's living in her own world, but turns out to be really clever in the end. In the latest test, she scored higher than I did (and I can assure you that I usually score pretty high): if she keeps on studying like this, she'll be able to enroll in the best universities. But...  
Her dream is to be a writer and, for the past two years, she haven't considered any other option. She says that she doesn't want to become something that doesn't suit her. But, now that the time to choose a path is almost come, her parents are giving her a hard time: they want the best for their daughter and they'd prefer to see her becoming a lawyer or a doctor rather than wait for an uncertain career as a writer, and this causes a lot of argument with a free-spirited dreamer like Nami.  
They are not wrong, but I can't say they are right either. After all, I can put myself in her shoes: my family is the same, with the difference that they started hassling me when I was a lot younger than her. _Their_ dream of making me become a successful man and _my _dreams concerning Sangoshou are clashing against each other and I'm sure that, if I lived with them, they'd make my life a living hell. It's not like I hate them, because I'm sure they are doing it for what they think is my own good; still, I'd like them to understand what I want a little better.  
And Nami is not different from me. Maybe it's the only thing we have in common.

«Teru... Do you think I should just give up? That my dream is too unrealistic?» she asks suddenly, looking down.  
I stop walking and she proceeds for a few steps, before turning around to face me.  
«Is this what they told you?»  
Nami shrugs and doesn't answer. She doesn't want to say it, but I can guess her answer by looking into her eyes.  
Yes, they did.  
I sigh again. Parents can be really stupid when it comes to their children's future.  
«Nami, come here.»  
At my words, she approches slowly, looking up at me with curiousity.  
«What is it?»

_Chop!_

I hit her forehead with my usual chop. She screams in surprise and cover her head with the arms, but it's too late.  
«Why did you chop me, this time? I haven't done anything!»  
«Because you're an idiot!» I tell her sharply. «You're damn good at writing. If you let your talent go to waste only because someone who doesn't understand anything tells you to, then you're nothing but an idiot and deserve to be chopped! Period.»  
She pouts.  
«There was no need to hit me, though.»  
«Then you shouldn't have asked me.»  
«...Sadist» she mutters, but I hear her perfectly.  
«What did you say?»  
I give her my best killer glare. This is the last chance for her to take that word back.  
Luckily, she gets the message and quickly shakes her head.  
«Nothing at all!»  
Pleased by her answer, I nod.  
«Good.»

We both turn toward the sea, looking at the water sparkling under the setting sun. Everything is dyed in red: the water, the sky, the clouds, the reflections on Nami's hair...  
Everything remembers me of another evening, more than ten years ago: same sea, same beach, same setting sun... but another girl. A little girl sitting on the shore, holding her face in her hands, trying to hide her tears...  
Useless memory! Why do I have to remember this stuff whenever I'm with Nami? It doesn't make any sense! Why remember about a lost childhood crush, when I have the one I love by my side?  
Ridiculous!

Chasing the memory away, I look in Nami's direction just to realize that she's staring at me intently.  
«...Why are you staring at me like that? Are you thinking dirty thoughts again, you perv?»  
Calling her a perv is just one of my usual jokes, a way to make her angry; but this time, instead of pouting and going on and on with her usual "I'm not a perv!", she blushes and looks away.  
«...Sorry.»  
Hey, wait a minute there! What does this mean? Is she really thinking _dirty thoughs_ about _me_? Then...  
...No! Stop! Don't overthink! Overthinking is bad for the health, you know? If you overthink, you'll end up crying when you'll realize you're wrong. Right, Me? So, calm down and try not to blush.  
Breath in.  
Breath out.  
In.  
Out.

...Nope, it doesn't work! I'm turning red: I can feel it by the sudden warmth on my face. And, as if it isn't enough, Nami turns to toward me again and looks at my face without saying anything! Why doesn't she understand that she doesn't have to look at me like that? I told her not to...!  
...Okay, I didn't. But _anyway_, does it really matter? She doesn't have to. Period.

«You're not the kind of guy who gives up, right?» she says, while I struggle against myself to calm down. «I mean, if you were, you wouldn't do what you're doing for Sangoshou.»  
Her voice sounds so unusually serious that it makes me smile. It's not an happy smile, though; it's more like a sour one, because she hit a weak spot.  
As much as I don't want to ruin the positive image she has of my determination, I want her to understand. I want her to see who I am, who I _really_ am.  
...or, at least, the fragments of that Real Me that I left behind long time ago so that I could go on with my masquerade.  
«Not really. It's kind of the opposite, if you ask me.»  
«...Eh?»  
Her eyes grows wide in surprise, exactly as I expected.  
Seeing that she hasn't really gotten what I meant, I tried to explain my point better.  
«It's more like... See, when you really want something, you do whatever it takes to obtain it, don't you?»  
She nods and I go on:  
«Well, when _I _want something, I do _more_ than what it takes. I'm obsessed by it; I can't stop thinking about it. That's why, whenever I want something, I try to plan every detail so that I'll get it in the end. Everything must be perfect and I can't fail, no matter what. This way, I usually obtain what I want. But, if something doesn't work out the way I want and I fail... I don't know if I'll give up or not. Can you believe it?»  
_I _can't believe I just said that! Usually, I hate when someone finds out about my weak spots. But Nami is different: I have no need to pretend to be someone I'm not. I can be occasionally weak and this is refreshing, in a way. It's relaxing.  
She keeps staring at me for a few seconds, like she's considering something; then, she turns her gaze toward the sea and unexpectedly, she smiles and nods.  
«Yes. I believe it.»  
«And? Are you good with it?» I can't help but ask her ironically, feeling like I already know the answer.  
But, once again, she surprises me by nodding again.  
«Yes, I like it. It's... very human. I like the human Teru I see today more than the Prince-like Teru I meet at school.»  
«...Thank you.»  
I don't say anything else, because there's nothing else I could say.  
What she told me right now is enough for me to be grateful for the eternity. Nobody else ever liked my weak side more than my always-perfect side: only Nami.  
Maybe she doesn't realize how important her words are, but I won't forget them. Really.

«But! This doesn't mean that you don't deserve _this!_»  
She suddenly rise on her tiptoe and hits my forehead with her hand in a way I know really well... because usually I'm the one doing it!

_Chop!_

After that, I stand still, staring at her smirk in shock. It takes some seconds before I can talk.  
«What. Was. That?» I spit out one word at a time.  
My blood pressure is rising. I think I'm going to explode any moment now.  
«A chop, of course. Did it look like something else?» she answer with her eyes opened wide.  
My trademark. _She stole my trademark! _Unforgivable!  
«You have _ten seconds_ to explain why you did it, before I _kill you_! Hope you have a good excuse!»  
She turns a little blue, but doesn't step back. She just covers her head with her arms, ready for my possible reaction, and try to explain.  
«Well, you chopped me when I asked you if I had to give up my dreams; so I chopped you when you said that, if something happened, you could give up on yours. It's only fair!»  
...Actually, it _is_ fair. But I can't just forgive her like this for something like stealing _my_ chop!  
Uhmmm...

Suddenly an idea comes and I smirk mischeaviously at her.  
«Let's say I forgive you, but mind you! I'll have my revenge whenever you least expect it. And you won't like it, I assure you!»  
At first she glares at me, but then shows me her tongue and smiles.  
«Demon!»

There's nothing more to say, so we let the conversation drop. We just stay still, side by side, facing the sea, while the sun sets slowly.  
I should send Nami home before it grows dark, but she doesn't want to go, and I don't want to let her go either; but, if we just keep silent like this, I'll have to bring on the topic sooner or later. I have to find a new question, and I have to find it now!

«By the way, Nami, how is your fairytale going?» I blurt out without thinking.  
Her eyes shines in enthusiasm as looks up at my face.  
Wow, I'm a genius! I was only improvising, and look what I came up with! After all, to say it in Hariya's way, _is Teru-sama you're talking with!  
_«It's not just a fairytale! It's a _novel!_»she says, pretendig to be offended.  
I snort, rolling my eyes.  
«Looks like a fairytale to me. And you haven't answered my question.»  
Nami started writing a fairytale entitoled "The Maiden and the Pirate Prince" on our first day of high school, but she let me read it only a few months ago. At first it looked strange to me that she took more than two years to write a story, but, when I finally got a hold of it, I understood the reason. The characters of the story are real people and the events are based on what happens in her life.  
You want an example? Well, here it is.  
The Maiden, who's Nami's alter ego, lives in a village beside the sea that looks a lot like a fairytale version of Habataki City; one day, as she's strolling on the beach, she sees a pirate ship called Sangoshou (yes, _Sangoshou!_) approaching and, when it docks on the shore, she's greeted by the King of Pirates, who's a nice, kind and chivalrous old man who looks a lot like Grandpa, and by his grandson, the Pirate Prince. This character is basically the bad guy: when he first see the heroine, he points a dagger at her and threathen her that, if she'll tell anyone that the pirates are in town, he'll cut down all of her family.  
Yup, that's me. I'm the bad guy of a fairytale. Nice, isn't it? She must have hated me a lot when she started writing.  
Still, I had my share of laughs when I read about Grandpa wearing a feathered hat and a parrot on his shoulder and about Hariya as the city paladin who thinks too high of himself and always fail in chasing down the pirates.

«It's getting interesting» she answers, her eyes shining like stars.  
«Why?»  
«Because I'm starting to think that I misjudged the Prince a little. Right now, he looks more like a tsundere than the bad guy I wanted to write about. Maybe I won't let the heroine kill him; maybe he'll become a good guy at the end of the story.»  
I feel myself blushing as I consider her words. _Tsundere?_ So my character would be a tsundere?  
«Tsundere...» I repeat mindlessy, avoiding her gaze.  
«Yup! You know, when a character looks all cold and stiff on the outside, but on the inside...»  
«_I-know-what-a-tsundere-is-don't-explain!_» I blurt out, before she can say something even more embarassing about my alter ego. «I though it was a _fairytale_, not a shoujo-manga!»  
«I don't get it: is there a reason why a tsundere can't be in a fairytale?»  
No reason, except that it's _my_ character you're talking about!  
«Moreover, it's you who inspired the Prince. If you're a tsundere, he also is.»  
So it's not only my character! _I_ would be a tsundere, in her opinion.

«...I shouldn't have asked you. I'm going. Go home alone.»  
I start walking again, leaving her behind. At first she doen't follows me, but after less than a minute I hear her quick footsteps behind me.  
«See? I'm right! You're in "tsun-tsun mode" again! I like you better when you're in "dere mode".»  
_Dere?  
_I stop so suddently that she stomp against my back, and turn around to glare at her.  
«When did you ever see me going "dere"? I'm not like that!»  
She grins.  
«Well, for example when that guy tried to hit on me at the station...»  
«It was only because I didn't want to feel guilty if something happened to you!»  
«...Or when you were jealous because Harii invited me at his live...»  
«I already told you I wasn't jealous! I was just worried!»  
«...Or maybe when you dueled with him at the school trip...»  
«I just wanted to teach him a lesson! It has nothing to do with "being dere"!»

Seeing how I refuse to accept her point, she put her hands on her hip and turns serious all of a sudden. The change is so quick that it's almost scary.  
«Okay, then» she snorts angrily. «If you don't want your character being a tsundere, I'll turn him back to a normal fairytale bad guy; and the heroine will kill him. Is this okay with you?»  
...Well, I hadn't considered it. I don't really want my character to be a "normal bad guy", because I'm not. I'm not a bad guy, right, Nami? So, please, don't kill me!  
«Why do you always have to be drastic?» I say, trying to disguise my real thoughts. «Why does a fairytale have to always end up with the bad guy dying? What kind of an happy ending is that, if someone dies?»  
«Is the bad guy supposed to have a happy ending? It wouldn't be fair» she answers, unusually serious. «Sometimes, not even the hero and the heroine are allowed an happy ending; why should a bad guy have one?»  
She looks down, depressed, and I hold my breath, startled.  
Her words reminded me something.  
Another fairytale. A legend I've known ever since I was a kid. The first story I heard where there was no happy ending: a sad story that ended with a cliffhanger. The hero and the heroine there were not rewarded with an happy ending, and neither were me and the little girl I shared that story with.  
But why am I thinking about it now? Because Nami mentioned a story without an happy ending? It's impossible that we are thinking about the same one. It's true that some people heard about the legend of the lighthouse here in Habataki City, but Nami is not from here. She transferred here only three years ago and, by the time she came, a lot of versions of the same legend have come up. Probably I'm one of the few people who know the original version.  
She can't know. She must be thinking about something else.

I take a quiet step toward her, as if I was trying to get closer to a scared puppy.  
«Okay, then. I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you.»  
She raise her head and finally smiles, but she still looks a little sad.  
«You know, Teru... A long time ago, I heard a very sad story that I've never really forgotten and, ever since I came here, I can't stop thinking about it». She laughs and pass a hand through her hair to chase away the embarassment. «Right now, as you mentioned happy endings, it popped in my mind again. I'm a stupid, am I not? Overeacting because of this...»  
My heart skips a beat and I find myself unable to answer. Her words buzz in my ears as if they just came out of a broken radio and I can't chase them away.  
Maybe I'm just overthinking. There's no proof that she's talking about the same story. There's one possibility on a million that she's...  
No. No, I must be overthinking. It has to be it.  
But, if it's just my imagination, why those memories of the past always resurface when I'm with Nami? Why it felt so familiar when we kissed? Why a fragment of her past seems to overlap with mine?  
I look straight at her face, trying to force my memory to go back on something I tried to forget for so many years. I need to remember. I need every single detail of what happened so many years ago.  
And finally, as if it resurfaces from behind a fog, I see it. That day of more than ten years ago.

_I was around five or six when it happened.  
__Since I didn't have many friends, when Grandpa couldn't play with me, I often used to stroll on the beach alone, not far from the lighthouse. I used to run away when nobody was looking at me to go there and daydream, thinking about sea monsters and heroes and mermaids. Of course, when Grandpa realized I wasn't were he left me anymore, he got really worried and angry, but, even if everytime I promised to be good and don't do it again, I always took my chances to run away. When I felt lonely, I wanted to be left alone: I didn't want anyone to see me.  
__That evening it wasn't different: the sun was setting and I was wandering on the beach, minding my own businness, when I saw her.  
__There was a little girl sitting on the shore, hiding her face with her hands.  
__I remember that the first thing I thought was that it was really strange. A lot of kids used to come to play at the beach, but they were always with their friends or with their parents. She was all alone: there was nobody around, except for her.  
__I don't remember what passed through my mind after that, but I know how it must have felt: I was alone, she was alone. She was like a similiar human being for me more than all the kids I used to see every single day.  
__I walked closer to her. I didn't really mean to call out to her: I was just curious to see how was she like. But, as I got closer, I realized that her back was trembling and that she was sobbing greatly. She was crying.  
__I don't really know what made me do it, but I walked up to her and sat beside her. She didn't seem to notice I was there: she just kept on crying, without uncovering her face.  
__«Why are you crying?» I asked her.  
__At the sound of my voice, she finally raised her head. I don't remember exactly her features, but I remember that I thought she was really beautiful. I don't know if she really was or not, but to me it wasn't the point. I wasn't used to have girls around: I'm an only child, so I have no sisters and, at that time, I didn't have female friends. Maybe that's why she looked like some beautiful and misterious creature to me.  
__Anyway, she didn't answer: she just looked at me with big eyes, without talking.  
__«Why don't you talk?» I asked her again.  
__She didn't answer again, still looking at my face with her big, amazed eyes, like she wanted to tell me something but couldn't. Maybe she couldn't talk?  
__She was beautiful and she couldn't talk. To me, it meant only one thing.  
__«Hey, are you a mermaid?»  
__If possible, her eyes grew even bigger in amazement.  
__«A mermaid?» she finally said.  
__She spoke! I made her speak! What a victory it was for me!  
__«Finally you're speaking! What happened?»  
__She hesitated, studying me as if she was trying to decide whether to thrust me or not. Then, she finally spoke again.  
__«I can't find Mom and Dad anymore.»  
__So that's why she was crying! Yeah, it made sense. So, what did I have to do? The sun was setting, so I couldn't leave here there: I had to help her.  
__«You don't remember where you lost them, do you?»  
__She shakes her head and a tear drop down her cheek.  
__«Then... maybe I can help you find them. I know this beach well.»  
__«You will?»  
__I nodded, smiling and offering her my hand. She finally smiled back and took it.  
__«Thank you! Are you a prince?»  
__A prince? Me? Why would she think something like that?  
__«No, I'm not a prince. Why do you think that?»  
__«Because princes save the girls. But, if you're not a prince, I shouldn't talk yo you: you're a stranger.»  
__«If I tell you my name, I won't be a stranger anymore: I'm Teru. And you?»  
__My behavior seemed to relax her, because her tears finally stopped at all. She shook the hand she was holding and smiled in a way I'd never forget.  
__«My name is...»_

The memory breaks when she was going to say her name, frustrating me.  
No! Why now? Why can't I remember?  
I take a deep breath to calm down. There's no time to get angry: it happened a lot of time ago, so it's no surprise if I don't remember. Instead of getting angry, I should find a strategy to trigger my memories. Only this way I can be sure of...  
«Nami!»  
Hearing my call, she turns and looks straight up at me.  
«What is it?»  
«About that sad story... Could you tell me who told it to you?»  
I ask my question and cross my fingers.  
What if Nami really was that little girl? What if my first love was also the girl I'm in love with right now? Wouldn't it be strange and... wonderful? Yes, wonderful. A real miracle.  
...But I can't afford to delude myself. I can't start imagining stuff before knowing things for certain. I need her answer to be sure...  
Nami scratches the back of her head, lost in thoughts.  
«I... I don't really remember, sorry. I had to be really small, because I can't remember where I heard it and who told me. I can barely remember the story itself!»  
...And this is how my plan fails! Figures.  
But! Maybe there's another way to be sure: my last chance.  
«Then...»  
I take another deep breath to gather more courage. It's the moment of the thruth: now or never!  
«Then could you tell me how the story goes?»  
Nami bites her bottom lip and starts fidgeting with her fingers, like she always do when she's trying to concentrate.  
«I'll try, but I can't promise you anything. As I told you, I barely remember anything.»

She closes her eyes for a second, digging into her memory; then she finally starts telling me the story.  
«A young man and a beautiful maiden met on seashore. The maiden was a mermaid, so she couldn't talk when she was around people, but this didn't prevent the two of them from falling in love. Unfortunately, when the cruel people of the village discovered about the mermaid, their reaction was so full of hate that she was forced to go back to the sea.»  
My heart beats faster with every word she says, making my chest ache. My mind is a mess: I can't think about anything, I don't even remember who I am. The only thing I know is that the story she's telling me is the same I know, the same Grandpa used to tell me when I was younger; the same I heard togheter with that little girl, before...  
I can't believe it! How could I be such a fool?  
«Then, after this...»  
Nami hesitates, like she's not sure about what comes next. Without thinking, I come to her rescue.  
«Instead of a farewell, the lovers exchanged a kiss. They were sure that one day the sea would have brought them togheter, so that they could meet again. From then on, the young man spent every day gazing at the sea, until, on a moonlit night...»  
She looks at me in disbelief, then smiles and nod greatly, starting back from where I stopped.  
«...he left on a boat to look for his love. He never returned. Even now, nobody knows if the two of them met again.»  
She stops as if the story has ended. She probably doesn't remember the final part, the one about the lighthouse. If she did, then she'd realize at least _where _she heard it.  
"After his leave, the people of the town felt bad for what they did and built a lighthouse, so that it could help the lovers to find their way back at night."  
This is how the end of the legend goes.

«You know it too?» Nami asks me, smiling like a child who just received a long wanted gift. «It's the same story! Where did you hear it?»  
I can barely hear what she's saying: I'm too busy starting at her face, trying to recognize something familiar in her features.  
Useless work: I doubt I will ever remember clearly how the face of that little girl looked like. But there's something I always knew in the back of my mind: from the very beginning, Nami looked familiar to me. Is it her? Is it really her?  
Only one question parts me from the thruth: I just have to ask her and I'll be sure. But what if the answer is "No"? How will I feel like then?  
Ahhh! No good! There's no time to be a coward! Go on and ask! Now!  
«Nami, there's another thing I'd like to know. After this, no more questions.»  
Still full of enthusiasm because of the legend, she nods.  
«Go ahead then. What is it?»  
I open my mouth to talk, but the voice doesn't come out.  
Argh! Come on! Ask! It's the only chance you have to be sure, you moron! Ask her RIGHT NOW!  
I clear my throath to mask my uneasiness and finally the voice comes out.  
«When you were small –about five or six years old- you used to live here?»  
Without any hesitation, she nods again.  
«Yes.»  
«Really?»  
«Yes. We moved because of Dad's job when I was six, but before that we lived here.»

A sudden feeling of warmth wraps me like a scarf.  
This is it.  
It's her. It's really her!  
Nami waves her hand in front of my face, puzzled.  
«Earth calls Teru! Earth calls Teru! Can you hear me? What's with that smile? It's pretty scary, you know?»  
Am I smiling? I didn't even realize it. I'm totally spacing out. Her words finally triggered the missing part of my memories, the one about her name...  
_  
«If I tell you my name, I won't be a stranger anymore: I'm Teru. And you?»  
__«My name is Nami.»  
__«Nami? Like "wave"? The waves of the sea?»  
__«It's pronounced the same way, but Mom says it's written differently. She taught me how to write it. See?»  
__She draws the characters of her name on the sand and I nod.  
__«Nice name. I like it. Then, let's look for your parents, Nami?»_

Now, it all makes sense. Everything, from the day we met, makes sense. The reason why she looked familiar when I first saw her; the reason why, when we kissed, it felt like I had done it before; even the reason why, whenever I see her going away, is like I'd never see her again.  
It's nothing but a miracle: how can two people who met as kids and didn't even remember each other's faces and names meet again just like that? There is one chance on a million that it might happen, but, nonetheless, it happened for us. Was it fate, maybe? Or it just happened so that I could keep the promise I made to her inside of the lighthouse, the day before she disappeared from my life?

_«Did the mermaid and the young man meet again?»  
__«Nobody knows.»  
__«...It's so sad, though.»  
__«Well, this is how the story goes.»  
__«...It's not fair.»  
__«...Well, we are not like them. We'll meet again: when you'll be gone, I'll look for you and I'll find you for sure.»  
__«Really?»  
__«Yes. So, could you raise your head?»_

A promise we sealed with a kiss. My first kiss. Her first kiss, too, I suppose.  
And now, after all these years, when I thought that dream had ended, she's back. My mermaid is back! I found her!  
... But she doesn't remember me. She has forgotten everything.  
«Teeeeruuuu! Are you still there?»  
She pushes me lightly on the shoulder, and I finally get back from my fantasies.  
«...Eh?»  
I stare at her confused face, as she keeps shaking her hand in front of my eyes.  
«Are you okay? You're spacing out» she asks, obviously worried.  
...How much time have I been in Dreamland?  
«I'm fine... I think.»  
«"You think"?»  
«Okay, I'm definitely fine. Don't worry. You're the one who usually spaces out; I just wanted to see how it was like.»  
She rolls her eyes and punches me again on the shoulder.  
«Yeah, you're definitely back. Always the same, old Teru.»

Always her usual self. Her attitude hasn't changed at all, which means that, even if she realized that I know the same legend, she still doesn't remember who I am.  
«Nami...»  
In a last gleam of hope, I call her name.  
«What?»  
«About the story of before... You really have no slight idea of who told it to you? Not in the least? Not even...»  
She shakes her head.  
«No, not at all. Nothing.»  
I can almost hear my hear breaking into a million pieces.  
She doesn't remember. She really did forget about me.  
Is it because it wasn't all that important for her?

«Teru, you're spacing out again.»  
At the sound of her voice, I force myself back to reality again.  
«I'm not spacing out. I was just thinking that, if I don't send you home before it darkens, your father will wait for me on the door with an axe. Let's go.»  
I grab her wrist and drag her toward the end of the beach, where the city begin. She's almost running to keep up, but I don't turn to see her. I can't look at her face right now, or she'll realize something is going on.  
Useless. She realizes anyway.  
«Are you sure you're okay? You're stange.»  
No, I'm not okay. I'm completely mixed up! I don't even know if I have to be sad or happy!  
«I already told you I'm fine! I'm just thinking about how it feels like to be chopped to death! Move on!»  
She doesn't ask any further. Maybe she realized that, whatever bothers me, I don't want to talk about it. I guess it's better this way; or else, how could I tell her that the young man found his mermaid, but she doesn't remember him anymore?  
How can I tell her that our favourite faitytale doesn't seem lead to an happy ending either way?


	6. Nobody else

_We are at the end of the third year, so the end of this "ADV" is closer and closer... and I think is better this way, considering that the chapter are becoming longer with everyone I write, despite my efforts to summarise as much as I can. I hope I can publish the new chapters faster, but, considering the few time I have, that's something I cannot promise._

_Anyway, the next chapter will probably be about the Christmas events... and this mean it might be even longer than the "Mermaid" one. Enjoy this one in meantime, and hope you won't get bored!_

**NOBODY ELSE**

«...So this year, for the Culture festival, the school will organize a play...»  
The teacher is informing the class about the programs for the next Culture Festival. The event will be in a couple of weeks, meaning that whoever wants to partecipate have to pay attention to what he says to decide how to organize our time, especially for someone who partecipate in a club activity.  
I don't participate in clubs, mostly because I don't have time, there's nothing that really interests me and usually the only thing I really do during the Culture festival is running away from the "Princesses", who use their spare time as an excuse to chase after me even more than usual.  
This doesn't mean that I'm not interested, though. If I have to look around the various stands, I do it; I go to see what the people I know do, no matter if it's a horror house or a coffee shop, even if I try to avoid the "princesses" invitations as much as I can (a lifetime wouldn't be enough for them to be pleased). In three years, I never missed one of the events organized by the Handicraft club, so that I could see Nami.  
Yes, all in all I'm a loyal Culture Festival follower.  
This year, though, someone decided that I can't listen to what the programs are. And that someone is...

Something hits the back of my head, making me turn around. It was a crumbled piece of paper coming from the desk behind mine, where Hariya is pretending to hear what the teacher is saying.  
I can't help but sighing. Why in the world did we end up in the same class? I've been wondering about this ever since April, and I still haven't come up with an answer, except that maybe someone really wants me to suffer. We both hoped to end up in the same class as Nami, and ended up togheter instead. This means that not only I have to stand Hariya the whole time, but I also have to wait for hours every day just to see her.  
Not that I will ever tell her that I miss her, but... well, I do. I miss her. And the more the graduation day approaches, the more I regret the fact that I'm in a different class.  
Pathetic, isn't it?

Chasing the thoughts of Nami away, I make my pen fall on the floor, so that I can pick up the note Hariya sent me.  
Another one.  
He has been spending the last hour sending me notes, like a grade schooler, and, if I don't answer, he just sends me more. Moreover, what he asks me is always the same question and my answer is always the same.  
This time isn't different.

_"Come on, Saeki! You are the only one who can help us! The band needs you! Only for this time!"_

Is it just me, or is he really getting better at begging? He must really be in need if he asked me, despite him complaining about my sense of rhythm every time he can.  
Actually, I have decided I will help him. I just want him to suffer a little, because yesterday he told the "princesses" where I was hiding so that he could ask Nami to walk home with him. Okay, she refused because she was working at Sangoshou in the afternoon, but it was still a dirty trick and he has to pay for this!

_"I already told you I won't. Now let me be!"_

I quickly scribble the answer in the back of the note and make it fall on the ground right in front of his desk, before turning again toward the teacher, so as to listen at least part of what he's saying.  
«The play that has been chosen will be...»  
Another note hit the back of my head before I could get the name of the play.  
Damn!  
I cautiously pick it up again and read it.

_"I'm begging you!"_

_"I don't care!"_

I answer again and send it back.  
This time I don't even have the time to turn around that another note hits me on the shoulder.  
Okay, now he's done it!  
I turn toward him, but before I can do anything, the teacher's voice interrupts me.  
«Saeki! Hariya! The lesson is not over yet! Will you please pay attention?»  
Ahhh! _I knew it!_ I _knew_ it was going to end up like this!  
«I'm sorry.»  
«Sorry.»  
We both mutter our apologies and finally the notes stop coming.  
He gave up, finally! I know it won't last long: he'll start pestering me again as soon as the lesson ends. In any case, a little pause it's better than nothing.  
«This is all» the teacher says. «If someone wants to participate in the play, please communicate your name to...»  
Damn, it's already finished! I was really curious about the play!  
It's all Hariya's fault! As if I didn't have enough reasons to wring his neck already!  
I quickly glare at him from over my shoulder, before turning back toward the teacher and listen the rest of the lesson. I already missed the interesting part; let's try not to miss at least the "useful" one.

How many times has passed since we started? Minutes? Hours? _Days?_ And how many times have I yawned up to now?  
If the lesson doesn't end right now, I'll die of boredom on the desk. I'm not joking.  
If I think about how many homeworks I already have and the time it will take to finish them all, I feel like I've got the fever.  
Until a couple of months ago, dealing with school and homework was hard; now it's becoming impossibile, and the teachers become more mercyless every day that passes with the excuse that "the tests are approaching".  
WHAT THE HECK? The tests are in December, and it's still October! How many days can I keep going on sleeping only three hours per night? If I'll get sick, it will be their fault!  
...Ok, I know it. It's my fault. They don't know I have a "double life", and it's better if it stays that way. But why? Why did I choose the university course in the first place?

Right as I'm considering the possibility of hanging myself in the middle of the classroom using my necktie, the bell rings and the lesson finally ends!  
Safe!  
As soon as the teacher go out, I'm the first one to stand up and gather my things as fast as I can.  
There's only one reason I look forward to the lunch break, and that is... sleeping! It's the only moment when I can doze peacefully without feeling guitly: if I sleep when I'm at home, I always end up thinking about how many homeworks I have, how many things I still have to do and all this stuff; during the lunch break, though, I'm stuck at school anyway. I can do nothing about it, so why shouldn't I make up for the hours I lose every night?  
I have to be fast, though, or else the "Princesses" will find me before I can reach the courtyard. If they do, I can say goodbye to my nap...

«Saeki!»  
Someone grabs my sleeve and I'm forced to turn back... only to find myself face to face with a grumpy Hariya.  
Damn, I totally forgot about him!  
«Saeki, don't ignore me! What kind of friend are you, if you shake me off when I need you?»  
«I don't remember being your friend at all» I answer, shaking off his arm with a jerk.  
He stare at me in disbelief for a moment, his eyes opened wide. I think he didn't expect me to say something like that; maybe I offended him.  
«Well, _I_ am» he says, turning serious all of a sudden. «Moreover, even if you don't want me as a friend, you _owe_ me for everything I did for you, starting for those guitar lessons. So, you have to listen to me!»

Ok, now I did it. I'm behaving like a brat... or a "self-centered jerk", as Nami used to call me. I'm in a bad mood, but it's not Hariya's fault. He hasn't done anything bad to me... except when Nami is concerned but, in that case, I know I'm not better than him.  
...Ah, damn! I hate feeling guilty!  
«...I'll do whatever you want» I mutter, scratching the back of my head.  
Hariya eyes grow wide again and, in a second, his serious expression turns into his usual grin.  
«You mean, "whatever"?»  
«...Yeah» I sigh.  
I just hope he won't start with his usual "Harii-sama always win" crap, or I'll really consider murder as an option.  
«Even helping my band?»  
«...Yeah.»  
«Even admit that you sense of rhythm is nasty?»  
«...Yeah.»  
«Even let me ask Nami out this Sunday?»  
«...Ye... NO!»  
I was answering so automatically that I almost forgot to hear what he was asking. Thank goodness I managed to stop before I could say something I would regret.  
Hariya sighs in delusion.  
«It's not fair! You said you'd do everything I wanted!»  
«I said that? I don't remember.»  
«You said it less than a minute ago!»  
I tap my forehead with the finger, pretending to think about it.  
«Nope. I don't remember. Now, if you'll excuse me, _Harii-sama_, I have businness to attend to. Farewell!»  
I bow mockingly and, before he can find an appropriate answer, stand him there to leave the classroom. The last thing I hear him muttering is:  
«He's the best in the world when it comes to annoying people...»  
As soon as I'm out of the door, I dash away so that he won't be able to run after me.  
Stupid Hariya! First he says I'm not honest, then, when I try to be a little more human with him, he take advantage of the situation. Doesn't he understand when it's time to stop and just say "thank you"?

As I rush through the corridors, cursing Hariya at every step, I realize that I automatically took the path toward Nami's class. From where I am, I can clearly see the door of her classroom, with the "3B" sign beside it.  
I stop, looking at the door without getting closer. It's still closed, so the teacher is probably still inside. _She_ must be still inside.  
Her face flashes in front of my eyes and I immediately have the usual feeling of something soft and warm wrapping around my chest, while crazy thoughts starts filling my mind.  
I could renounce to my nap, after all. I could ask her to spend the lunch break with me. We could run away somewhere to be alone, like we did the last Valentine Day. Wouldn't it be wonderful?  
There's only one turn off. She usually spends her lunch break togheter with her four best friends: Nishimoto, Onoda, Mizushima and Todou.  
I'm still far from understanding _why_ girls always moves around in packs; moreover, this particular "pack" is so improbable that I will never figure out how can they get along. In any case, if they are around, I can't approach Nami in any way... or better, I could, but I'd have to talk to her with Nishimoto and Mizushima giggling in the background and Onoda and Todou staring at me with those severe and scary gaze of theirs pointed on me.  
It would be awkward, to say the least. Maybe I should just back off.

Once taken this decision, I try to convince my feet to take me away from where she is, but, before I can walk away, the door opens and I see a familiar figure going out of the classroom.  
White coat.  
Light brown air.  
Careless expression.  
He can be no one but my former homeroom teacher, back when Nami and I were in the same class: Takafumi Wakaouji, chemistry teacher and Nami homeroom teacher for the third year in a row. Always funny and kind, he's the sort of teacher everyone would want, even though he's oblivious, tend to space out when he shouldn't and is always being scolded by other teachers because of his lack of authority. Nami herself says that he looks like a kinder and more sociable version of her cousin's boyfriend... and said boyfriend apparently is known for spacing out A LOT!  
An interesting guy indeed.

As soon as he's out of the door, he turns in my direction and spots me in the farthest corner of the corridor.  
Too late to walk away unnoticed. I can't just turn and go away, now that I've been spotted, especially because he's now waving at me like he wants to tell me something.  
I just stand there, waiting for him to catch up. As he gets closer, I can see his usual careless smile from the distance.  
«Saeki-kun, here you are! I was just coming to look for you!»  
I blink, puzzled. Look for me? Why?  
«Do you need something from me, Wakaouji-sensei?»  
He nods and open his mouth to start explaining, but his voice is immediately covered but the sudden burst of voices coming from a group of students who just got out of the classroom.  
He turns toward them with a gloomy look, as if that was the last thing he'd want to do, and tries to scold them.  
«Hey, you! Stop making such a fuss in the corridor!»  
I can see he's trying his best to sound as commanding as possible but, as usual, his voice is so uncertain and low that they don't even hear it.

Wakaouji sighs and shake his head, resigned.  
«It's useless. They never listen to me.»  
«Maybe it's because you don't sound resolute enough, sensei» I suggest, refraining myself from grinning.  
I'm sorry for his problem, but seriously, he's the first teacher I've ever seen who's completely taken over by his students!  
«How would be "resolute enough"?»  
He looks at me with a hopeful face, almost begging for my help. Oh, dear... is he asking me?  
I scratch the back of my head, looking for a way to help him.  
«Well, you could try to... yell at them?»  
Wakaouji yelling at someone? Hard to imagine. I don't see any other way, though.  
«Yell... Like what?»  
Hopeless. He's just hopeless.  
«Like you were trying to talk to someone at the other side of a soccer field... sort of.»  
He ponders my words for a second, then smiles widely and, after clearing his throath, turns toward the students.  
«HEY, YOU! STOP MAKING SUCH A FUSS IN THE CORRIDOR!»  
He screamed so much that even I jump in surprise. But, more importantly, the group of students finally seems to acknowledge his presence and stops making noise, walking away along the corridor.  
Wakaouji turns back toward me with a victorious smile.  
«I did it! Thank you, Saeki-kun. I'll try to remember your advice next time.»  
I raise an eyebrow, but don't say anything. I already know that, when the time will come, he'll fail again. It's always the same. Once, during one of our dates, Nami and I surprised him "training" on how to yell at students: he was yelling at a tree in a park and, when he saw us, he asked us if his "hey, you!" was commanding enough.  
It's useless. He just can't yell at his pupils: he loves them too much.

«By the way, were you waiting for Shimizu-san?» he suddenly asks me, and immediately blood rushes up to my face, warming my cheeks.  
I look down, hoping he won't notice.  
«Actually I was just passing by, when you stopped me. I was asking you if you needed something, when those other students arrived.»  
His eyes grow wide, as if he forgot about everything, then beats his forehead with the hand and nods.  
«Right, right! I was hoping to run into you ever since this morning because I had to tell you something. You know I'm always active in promoting the activities of my classes during the Culture festival, right?»  
I nod silently.  
Of course I remember: last year his class even made up a disco of sorts, called "Disco Young Prince". I took a look at it from the outside, but I was in a hurry to see the fashion show of the Handicraft club, so I just passed by it. Wakaouji's ideas are funny, but I was more keen on seeing what was Nami up to. And I had a big surprise when I saw her with that _revealing_ party dress! Everyone could see her _shoulders!_ I didn't enjoy the show at all, because I was busy glaring at every guy who looked at her for too long...  
...but this is another story, I guess.  
«Well, this year there will be a play for the Culture Festival and I'm supposed to help make it up» he continues, without noticing my brief spacing out. «I'm sure you already heard of it by your teacher.»  
«Erm... yes?»  
…Actually, because of Hariya, I didn't hear a word of it. I don't even know what the play is about!  
Thank goodness, Wakaouji comes to my rescue by himself, before I can make a poor figure.  
«As you know, the play is "The Little Mermaid" and right now we are looking for an appropriate cast, especially for the protagonists. Now, I've already found someone for the Mermaid role, but we need a suitable Prince...»

...Stop right there! Why I get the feeling that I know what he needs me for?  
I cross the fingers behing my back, hoping to be overthinking, but, unfortunately, it turns out exactly as I expected.  
«... and, since you are so popular around here, we all though it might be you. You have that sort of princely aura, you know? A lot of people say it.»  
"Princely aura"? Who did he ask for confirmation? The "Princesses"? They are the only ones who'd say something like this.  
«And now that I look at you, I'm sure the costume would suit you nicely, too. It's not ready yet, but it's supposed to be purple, with a couple of ribbons on the hat and the cape... and maybe some laces, too.»  
Purple? _Ribbons_? _LACES?_ Is he really sure that he's talking about the Prince's costume, and not the Mermaid's one?  
«It won't be a too complicated role, really. The script is not that long, and the only really difficult part is the dance scene, that doesn't lasts long...»  
DANCE? If Hariya was here, he'd burst out laughing right now. Dancing? _Me?_ With the sense of rhythm I have? Don't make me laugh! This must be a joke!  
«...so, you see, we'd all be really grateful if you accepted. But why that disgusted face? Don't you like the part?»  
In the end Wakaouji notices that I'm growing paler and paler, and the only way I have to disguise it is by laughing it off.  
«Disgusted? Nonono! I'm not disgusted at all! I'm _honored!_ Really!»  
...I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted as I've never been in my whole life. How could I ever be happy about going on a stage dressed up like a fluffy bedside lamp and show everyone my horrible dancing skills, being ridiculous and destroying the other person's feet in the process?  
Yes, I'm disgusted and I have all the reasons to be so.  
«The thing is, Wakaouji-sensei, that I already have plans, so I'm not sure I can accept such a responsability» I desperatly try to explain, hoping for a quick escape. «It's a honor, really! But maybe there's someone more suitable than me...»  
Wakaoji's expression darkens and he looks down at his feets like a child who's been denied a present.  
«Well, if you don't want to accept the part, I certainly won't force you» he sighs. «It's a shame, though. I thought you and Shimizu-san would look really good togheter, and the fact that you know each other would diminish the embarassment in some scenes, too. But... oh, well, there's no other way. I'll find someone else.»

A shock runs through my body as soon as I hear Nami's name coming out of his mouth.  
Why Nami? Why her name?  
«W-wakaouji-sensei, what does Nami have to do with it? She isn't...?»  
«Yes, she has been chosen to be the Mermaid and accepted the part.»  
I almost don't hear anything after the "yes" part. I'm completely frozen in shock, so much that I even forget how ridiculus I must look, staring at him like a madman.  
Nami is entering the play; not only that, but she'll be the heroine of the story; and the story is a damned LOVE STORY!  
«W-what are exactly the scenes she'll do togheter with the... Prince?»  
I'm trying to act indifferent, but I'm stammering. I realize this myself, so surely Wakaouji noticed it, too. This time, though, I don't care.  
«Well, if you know the plot of "The Little Mermaid", you should imagine» he answers, passing the hand through his hair, lost in thoughs. «There's the meeting scene, the dance, then the wedding scene... Oh, and I almost forgot the kiss scene!»

As he mentions the various scene, I can see them play in front of my eyes, like on a screen: I see Nami, _my_ Nami, in a faceless someone's arms, dancing with him... kissing him!  
My blood starts boiling.  
I know it's a play. The dance will last not more than a couple of minutes, and they won't kiss for real. Still I don't care. It may be a fake, but dancing with someone else is still dancing with someone else, as much as kissing someone else is still kissing someone else.  
If Nami could see me now, she'd probably ask me the same, old question again. I heard it so many times that I can perfectly picture her grin as she speaks.  
"Are you jealous, Teru?"  
Yes, I am. I love you, so I can't help it.

«Well, then... This is all. I won't keep you any longer, Saeki-kun: I don't want to spoil your lunch break.»  
I hear Wakaouji speaking, and even understand what he's saying, but I can't answer. I just stare at him in shock, cursing whoever chose that play in the first place.  
Why that fairytale?  
Why Nami?  
And, most of all, _why have I refused without even hearing the details?  
_I'm an idiot! I'm the worst loser in the world! If I could kick myself, I'd do it!

Then, as Wakaouji passes by my side to leave, I see someone coming out of the class, following the flow of students toward the rooftop.  
Small figure. Short, brown hair. Big, brown eyes similiar to a deer's. Sweet, carefree smile.

_Nami._

She doesn't notice me and just proceeds on the opposite direction, walking quickly along the hallway. She looks so small and delicate compared with the others that it feels like anyone could crush her by just touching her.  
She's like a glass figurine that would break if not handled with care; a piece of art resting on a pedestral where everyone can admire her, waiting for someone to finally steal her away. And I... well, I'm just one of the people looking at her, waiting for a sign, for something to tell me that it's right to take her for myself.  
I've been looking at her for three years; even before, ever since I met her when we were kids, I did nothing but wait for her. Now, out of the blue, a faceless someone wants to take my place beside her, be on the stage with her, dance with her, play a damned kiss scene with her.  
And me? What_ the heck _am I doing, while this faceless guy tries to take her away? Just stand and watch?

_THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I'D LET HIM DO IT!_

I won't pass her to anyone! I don't want anybody else beside her. If I have to fight for her, I don't mind. Let the battle begin!

«WAKAOUJI-SENSEI!»  
I quickly turn back and run after Wakaouji's back figure.  
Hearing my voice, he stops and turn around, looking at me with a puzzled face.  
«What is it?»  
«I changed my mind! I want to be in the play!»  
«You changed you mind all of a sudden?»  
«Yes. I just remembered that all of my previous plans have been canceled, so there are no further impediments on my behalf.»  
Wakaouji looks suspisciously at my resolute face, before shaking his head and smile.  
«Good, then. It looks like you figured out what you really want, after all.»  
I raise an eyebrow, puzzled.  
«I don't get what you mean, sensei.»  
He just sighs.  
«Oh, well, I guess you'll figure it out soon enough.»  
Saying this, he smiles like he knows better and walks away, leaving me alone with my "battle plans".

I'll have to tell the news to Nami first thing as soon as I see her. Who knows if she'll be happy about it? I hope so. We are friends, after all. If I was at her place, I would.  
...Well, I'm biased, so what I think doesn't count.

Right then, an unwanted voice suddenly calls out my name from the other side of the corridor.  
«He's there! Saeki-kun is there!»  
«It's so unfair! He promised that he would have lunch with us today!»  
_Crap! _The "Princesses"! They got me!  
«Ah... ahahah... Right! I promised...» I stutter, looking at the army of warlike girls coming my way from the other side of the corridor. «But... erm... Ah, I just remembered that the teacher wanted to talk to me... ehmmm... right! About a test I messed up! Sorry, girls...!»  
«It's not true! You never mess any test! Moreover, you used this excuse last week!»  
Aaaah, no good! I'll never get away like this! Then, if there's no other way...  
«Anyway, today I really can't, so... _Farewell_!»

I dash toward the opposite direction from the one they are coming from, trying desperately to escape from them. As I run, I hear their voices and footsteps behind me.  
Maybe I'll be safe if I manage to turn around the corner before they see me...  
I'm almost at the turn of the hallway, when another familiar figure comes out from the direction I was trying to run toward, blocking my way.  
«_SAEKI_! I FINALLY FOUND YOU! YOU STILL HAVE TO GIVE ME A CLEAR ANSWER ABOUT THE BAND!»  
_Double-crap!_ Hariya!  
I change direction as quickly as I can, avoiding him in the nick of time... but finding myself on the "Princesses" course again!  
«Here he is! Don't let him run away!»  
«Saeki! Come here right now! You can't run away forever!»  
Hariya joins the "Princesses", and they all chase after me along the corridors.  
So, goodbye to every plan I already had for my lunch break: today's schedule is _jogging_!

Aaaah... The _awes_ of being a Prince!


	7. Bittersweet Christmas, Part One

**Bittersweet Christmas, Part One**

_I decided to divide this chapter in two parts, one from the heroine's point of view and the other from Saeki's. Actually, it was a last moment choice, because this is supposed to be a Saeki centric story (hence the "ADV" reference), but I thought it would be interesting to see her point of view too, so that at least we can realize what she feels about him. It won't happen again, though!  
__Anyway, the second part is half ready, so hopefully I'll update in a few day.  
__Thanks in advance to everyone who'll have enough patience to read it, and hope you'll like it._

**NAMI'S POV**

Fairy lights, multicoloured dresses, a huge Christmas Tree in the middle of the salon...

After all, this year's Christmas party is as wonderful as usual. One could complain about a lot of things of our school, but not how events are organized. Every year, the party is as awesome as ever, and this year, for us third years students, there will be a ski trip with all the classes.

A beautiful party, a night out and a whole day of fun skiing with my friends. What could I ever want more than this?

Still, there's something missing. Or better, _someone_...

I look out of the window, sighing. On the outside is so dark that I can't see anything but my reflection on the glass.

My reflection...

I've never been beautiful, but tonight I'm pretty. No surprise, since I spent the whole month thinking about this night, trying to organize everything so that it would be perfect: the dress I'm wearing is aqua blue, his favourite colour; the necklace I put on is the one he got me for my birthday last year; the present I prepared for him secretly is a little glass figurine of a mermaid, because I know he likes both glass sculptures and mermaids.

I wanted this to be the perfect Christmas for us both, being the last one we'll spend as high school students. I thought about what to do, what to say, how to behave; I wanted to be beautiful for him, if only for one night, as a way to thank him for these three years spent togheter, for being my best friend all the while.

But he's not here.

Yesterday, while I was gathering my things to go home after school, I found a note under my desk, signed with his initials. He warned me that he wouldn't be coming to the party because he had to work, and he told me to have fun on his behalf, too.

When I read it, I wasn't surprised: I know what his situation is better than anyone, so I wouldn't dare to complain about something like this. After all, I told myself, it's just the usual Christmas party, and it's not like I'll never see him again after this. After Christmas, there's New Year and then we'll be back at school, where I'll see him everyday. I'll see him on my working days at Sangoshou, too.

So I came to the party, determined to have fun on his behalf like he told me to. Haruhi, Tatsuko, Chiyomi and Hisoka are here, and Harii is here too: they all want to have fun togheter with me, as much as I'd like to spend an happy Christmas with them. But, as soon as I arrived here, I realized that I couldn't have fun; whatever I do, there's always something missing... and I didn't take much to realize what, or better, _who_ I was missing.

«Teru...»

I whisper blankly his name, still staring at the dark window.

What would he say if he could see me right now?

I think about him so strongly that I can almost see him in front of me, with that ironic and slightly sour grin of his, looking at me with that particular sparkle in his dark eyes. I can almost hear his voice speaking to me in his usual sarcastic tone:

"_You're always the same crybaby, Nami! I don't want to feel guilty if you'll get bored at your last Christmas party; so, stop behaving like an idiot and have fun, silly!"_

The allucination is so real that I can almost feel his hand hitting my forehead with his "trademark" chop, making me flinch.

It doesn't really hurt, when he does so. I always scream and complain, but it's only a play. I know perfectly that, if he wanted to hurt me, he could easily do it; still, he never does: the chop is strong enough to surprise me, but never enough for me to feel real pain. After three years, I started considering it as a way of showing affection of sort.

That guy has serious problems to show his sweet side, really. Someone might even think he doesn't have one, but I know better. We've been togheter so much time in these three years that I couldn't help but see it. I've seen his eyes twinkle when he looks at the sea, I've seen his determination whenever Sangoshou is concerned, I've seen his features softens when he speaks about his grandfather; and, despite behaving like a self-centered jerk during the first period of our forced cooperation, he warmed up soon enough.

For people who started out hating each other, we became friend really fast; after that, it has become impossibile to separate us.

Always togheter. Quarreling, making fun of each other, never agreeing on anything, but always togheter.

This might be the first important occasion we are spending apart.

«Ahhh...»

I sigh sadly once again, looking out of the window as if I was expecting him to appear any moment now.

«That's the twentieth time. Do you want to beat a record or something?»

The male voice I hear not far from my ear startles me so much that I turn around quickly, stretching my arms in front of me in a bad imitation of a karate move... and end up hitting Harii shoulder.

«Ouch! What got into you?» he moans, tapping his hurt shoulder.

«Ah! Sorrysorrysorry! I didn't mean to hit you, but you surprised me!»

I pull closer to see if he's alright, but he immediately pulls away, his cheeks a little red.

«Don't worry, it's nothing.»

«You sure?»

«Yup. You should know by now: nothing can hurt me!»

He shows the cute grin he's so famous for, before turning serious again, looking straight at my face.

«It's you I'm worried about: ever since we arrived here, you've behaved as if you were at your cat's funeral. You sighed twenty times!»

I pout and glare at him.

«Don't talk about Nyaa's funeral that way! He's still a kitten, you know?»

I have a kitten called Nyaa that my cousin Miki gave me as a Christmas present. He's the son of a cat her boyfriend named after her when they were still in high school, and she gave him to me with the promise of having good care of him.

Anyway, I've gotten Nyaa only yesterday, so Harii can't know about his existence. I'm only trying to lead the conversation far from the reason of my sighs.

«Sorry. Didn't know you had a cat!» Harii apologizes, shaking his hands in front of him as if he wanted to erase what he just said. «Anyway, would you tell me why you're sighing so much? Has something happened?»

I looks like I can't get away with it, no matter what. I can as much tell him something. After all, if I'm going to be so depressed for the whole night, I don't want him to worry too much.

«It's nothing, really. It's just that this is our last year togheter and I would have liked to party with everyone. And by "everyone", I mean "everyone".»

Harii frowns.

«You're talking about Saeki, right?»

No way to hide it. I just nod, looking down.

«This is the first Christmas party we are not attending togheter. It feels a little lonely.»

Harii frowns even more. With that scary face, he doesn't look like himself at all. I didn't even know that he could look really angry.

«Saeki is an idiot! If I was him, I would never turn you down like that!»

Right after saying this, he blink as if he just realized he said something really embarassing and blushes wildly.

«...I-I mean, what friend would do something like this? He really is a jerk!»

I don't understand why he's being so flustered. He didn't say anything embarassing.

I can't help but smile weakly.

«Thank you for being so kind, but it's not really his fault. He's busy. I know it.»

«You always defend him, no matter what» he mutters, pouting like a little kid. «What's so special about that guy, I wonder.»

He says the last sentence like he's talking to himself and somehow I feel a little unease. It's strange hearing Harii talk about Teru that way: I always though their were good friends.

...Well, they spend most of their time bickering, but, in these three years, I learned that bickering is another of Teru's ways to show affection. That's what I think, at least.

«He's self-centered in a _special_ way, I guess» I try to laugh it off, so as not to show him my worries. «But he has a soft spot, if you know where to look.»

Harii shrugs and smile.

«Yeah, maybe. It must be a hidden spot, though, because, after three years, I still can't see it. When everybody else talks with him, he's all "I'm suuuuch a nice guy, because I'm Hanegasaki's Prince and I'm sooo cool and popular", but, as soon as I try and talk with him normally, he goes in Tsun-tsun Mode and says: "Stop annoying me and go die in an accident".»

His imitation of Teru is so perfect that I can't help but start laughing.

Yup. That's exactly how he is.

«You smiled! Finally!»

I look up at Harii to see his pleased grin. He has been worrying about me all along.

...How can someone be so nice?

«Thank you. Really.»

He's cheeks immediately turn bright red and he turns away so as not to show it.

«What are you thanking me about? I haven't done anything, right? It's normal for a friend to worry!»

He's always like that: every time he does something nice, he then tries to make it pass as something everyone would do. Still, I know it's not that way. Teru often says I'm slow, but I'm not _that_ slow. I realized that he cares about me more that the others. I don't know if he does it as a friend or... as something more. I'm not that experienced with guys, so I'm not sure.

As for me, I know what my feelings are: I love Harii as a friend. I like to hang out with him, we have a lot of things in common and, when it comes to have a good laugh, he's the best. My relationship with him is completely different with the one with Teru. Harii and I never really discuss or quarrel and I have a lot more fun with him, but, in the same time, our tie is not as deep. When I have a problem, it's Teru I run to; when it comes about talking about dreams, future... love... it's Teru I need. If someone would ask me who's the person I'm the closest to, I perfectly know whose name I'd answer.

I can't help but sigh again.

I miss him. I want him to be here with me. I want to hear his voice.

«Naaaaaamiiii! Hariiiiii! What are you doing over there? Come here! These parfaits are the best!»

Haruhi waves at us from the buffet tables, before grabbing five parfaits and trying to eat them all in the same time. Chiyomi, Hisoka and Tatsuko all look at each other, probably thinking they are togheter with a crazy.

Harii looks at her and chuckles.

«That girl is not normal. Funny enough, though». He then grab my wrist and tries to drag me toward the others. «Come one, let's join them!»

I don't follow him. I know that, if things go on this way, I'll keep on sighing the whole night long and spoil my friends' mood. There's only one thing I can do to feel a little better, and that thing is getting what I want.

And I want to hear Teru's voice.

I shake him off gently, trying to smile in front of his perplexed face.

«You go on ahead: I'll join you in a minute. There's something I want to do.»

«Nami, wait...!»

Waving at him, I dash toward the entrance without listening to him.

I force my way in the middle of the crowd and finally, right when I though I would never reach the exit, I find myself in the entrance. I push the door open and go out on the outside.

It's snowing and it's cold. I'm not surprise, since it's December and we are on the mountains; moreover, if it snows tonight, tomorrow we'll have a lot of snow to have fun with.

On the other hand, I'm wearing only a thin party dress, so it's really freezing cold. I can't help but shiver while I take my cellphone from the purse. Unfortunately, if I want to talk with nobody listening, I have no other choice.

Yeah, maybe I'm acting like a fool: it's not like we have to talk about top secret stuff! I just want to wish him a merry Christmas: I could easily do it in front of my friends.

But I know it's not only that: I want this to be a moment for us only. Since our last Christmas party has already been spoiled, at least I don't want anyone to interfere in my phone call. Is it such a crazy thing to ask?

Another shiver run down my spine as I input his phone number, but this time it's not because of the cold: it's pure adrenaline! I'm in such a hurry to hear his voice that I even mistake his numer a couple of times.

I'm such an idiot! It's not like it's the first time I call him! I shouldn't be so nervous!

Finally I manage to do everything correctly and bring the cellphone to my ear, waiting.

_Riiiiing... riiiing... riiiing..._

My heart beats togheter with the ringing of his cellphone.

The line it's free. It's ringing.

Then why is he taking so much time? Why doesn't he answer?

"He must be busy. I shouldn't disturb him. Maybe I should try again later, or wait for him to call back..."

This is probably the more reasonable course of action, but I don't interrupt the call and just wait. I just can't resolve myself to give up.

Finally, after what looks like an eternity, Teru picks up and I can here his voice from the other side of the line.

«...Hello?»

My heart beats faster as soon as I hear his voice and, for a few seconds, I don't know what to answer. I feel my cheeks getting warmer, and I feel grateful for the fact that he can't see me.

«Ah... Hello, it's Nami! Merry Christmas, Teru!»

A brief pause, than I finally hear his voice again. Is it just me, or he sounds a little down?

«Ah, it's you...»

I was expecting him to say something more; I thought he would at least wish me a merry Christmas.

He didn't.

Why isn't he talking? It's not like him at all! Has something happened?

«S-so, how is it going over there? Are there a lot of customers today?»

I'm just trying to say something to break the silence but, as soon as he hears my question, I can hear him gasp.

«Eh? ...Ah, yeah... sort of...»

…There's definitely something wrong about him. Even someone who knows him less than I do would notice. Normally, if I asked him something like this, he'd probably answer with one of his "Leave-me-alone-I'm-busy"; the fact itself that he didn't it's strange. If this is not enough, his awkward voice is another reason to make me worry: it's the voice he use when he wants to hide something.

I know him too well. He can't lie, not with me.

«Teru, has something happened?» I can't help but asking.

Again, he gasps and suddenly his voice, akward and hesitant up to now, turns into an angry and exasperated one.

«I already told you everything is going fine! Now I'm busy, so goodbye!»

«Teru...!»

His sudden change almost makes me drop my cellphone in disbelief but, before I can find an answer, he hangs up.

As soon as I don't hear is voice anymore, my head starts aching and I feel like the world itself is spinning around me. I'm completely numb: the only thing I still perceive is an overwhelming confusion.

What's going on? It's not like Teru to behave like this! Even in our worst moments, even when we still hated each other, he never talked to me in that way. Even when he was sad and tired, he never cut me out of his businness that way.

I know he's not alright. I know he's lying. He knows that I know, too. Then why is he doing this?

Something must have happened. Something really bad must have happened. There's no other way.

This awareness brings me out of my confusion.

I don't know what happened, but one thing is certain: my best friend is in troubles. He's trying to leave me out, because he doesn't want me to see him facing something he can't handle. I shouldn't be surprised: that's the way he is, and I like him this way. But, more importantly, he needs me. He'll never say it, but I know he does: I can feel it, as much as he can feel whenever I need him.

And where am I now that he needs me? I'm far away, where I can't reach him... where I can't help him.

Without even thinking, I turn back and run inside the building, raising my skirt to avoid stumbling on my own feets.

I don't know what's happening yet, but I know what I _need_ to do: I must go to him. I must be by his side now that he needs me. I _want _to be by his side, and not only now.

Not only now, but always.

Forever.

I'm almost in the salon, when I bump into Harii, who's coming toward me with a worried face.

«Nami! Here you are! I was coming to look for you... But, hey, what happened? What's with that face?»

He grabs my shoulders but I immediately shake him off, passing quickly by his side.

«Sorry, Harii, but I really don't have time now! I'm looking for the teachers!»

«What? Why?»

He follows me as I make my way in the middle of the crowd gathering in the salon. I can feel the worry in his voice, but I don't stop. I have to hurry: if I don't, then I won't be there on time!

«I'm going away!»

«WHAT?». For a second his footsteps behind me stops, but in a second I can hear them again, meaning that he's catching up. «What do you mean? Why are you going away? Did something happen with you? Are you ill?»

«Nothing happened with me, but I'm sure something happened with Teru. I heard him on the phone and...»

«Did he tell you something?»

Harii's voice darkened a little, but he still sounds worried enough. Mixed feelings, I guess.

«No, but that's the point! It's not what he said that makes me worry, but _how_ he said it. He's not alright, so I have to go to him.»

«What are you saying? If he didn't say anything, than you can't know for sure: maybe he's just in a bad mood!»

As he's speaking, he forcibly grabs my arm, forcing me to turn around. I furiously shake him off, feeling, for the first time, a rush of pure annoyance toward him.

I know he doesn't deserve it. I know he's just worried about me. Still, he's stopping me and this is annoying. Why doesn't he _understand_?

«Listen, Harii: I know Teru's "bad mood". He's in a bad mood ninety-nine percent of the time, so I _have_ to know. He sounds pissed, annoyed, angry, rude and a lot of other stuff, but he never, _never_ sounds _desperate_. It wasn't a simple bad mood: that's why I have to go to him. You can help me and let me go, or you can try to stop me; but keep in mind that, if you obstruct me, than I won't talk to you nor look at your face anymore!»

I didn't mean to be so aggressive, but it turned out this way. If I don't make things clear, he won't understand; and I'm tired of games, I'm tired of misunderstandings and I'm sick of giving fake hopes to someone I care about.

In my heart, I know I already made my choice and I know I won't change my mind.

Never.

After my speech, Harii just looks at me in amazement, his mouth opened and his eyes opened wide. I see the sorrow in his eyes and I understan I hurt him: at this point, no matter what I choose, someone will be hurt.

I'm sorry it must be you, Harii. I love you, really: you're one of the best friends I've ever had. Still, there someone I love more than you.

«You...» he whispers, but his words die before finishing the sentence.

A side of me would want to stay, to explain why I'm pushing him away, but I know I can't. There's no more time left.

«I'm sorry...» I mutter in a low voice, before turning around and dashing away, leaving him there in the middle of the crowd.

I will make up with him. I'll do whatever it takes so that he will forgive me. Not right now, though. There's something more important I need to do, something that cannot wait.

So, wait for me, Teru. I'm coming for you. I will never let you down, not now, nor in the future. I'll be by your side whenever you'll need me.

I promise.


	8. Bittersweet Christmas, Part Two

_**BITTERSWEET CHRISTMAS, PART TWO**_

_**Saeki's POV**_

«But you were working hard too, Grandpa! You can't expect me to agree with this!»

«In any case, it's already decided. The café will definitely close tonight. Just give up.»

In my whole life, I don't remember ever hearing Grandpa's voice so determined, yet so cold, like tonight. It's like he has planned everything from the beginning, and was prepared to my reaction.

He knows what I think about the matter.

He knows I'd never agree with this.

Yet, he did it all the same.

He shoved his decision at me without asking for an opinion, without listening to what I had to say. He has done everything on his own, and now I can't protest.

He said he's doing it because he's getting old and can't carry on with what Sangoshou needs. This is the reason why he decided to close it, or at least so he said.

But it's not so. I know it, even if he didn't say it. If it was so, he had no reason to close it a few months before my graduation, when I would have been able to help him full time.

It doesn't make sense at all.

But I know my Grandpa well, and I know he wouldn't do something like this without a good reason; and I know also what that reason my be.

I'm not a stupid: I understand.

This doesn't mean that I'm okay with it, though. With this decision he took on his own, every project I had, everything I planned is now useless. Everything I cared for is crumbling.

Grandpa is not looking at me. He looks determined, his face is telling me that he won't change his mind, no matter how hard I'll oppose him; but he can't look at my face.

Nor can I.

I want to say something, but there's really nothing left to say.

I want to do something, but there's nothing left to do.

It's over. I already lost.

I don't realize I'm running away until I find myself stumbling toward the door as fast as I can, escaping from Grandpa and from Sangoshou.

The floor under my feet is shaking; the air burns like fire.

Hell can't be worse than this pressure I'm feeling.

I burst out of the door without looking where I'm going, unconsciously hurrying toward my room. The only thing I want is lock myself in, so that I can find a place to stop thinking and chase this pressure away. Maybe I'll feel better, then; maybe I'll realize what to do; maybe nothing will happen, but at least I won't feel anything for a while.

And then...

While I'm stumbling toward the stairs on the side of the building, I bump onto something.

No, not something: it's too soft, too warm to be 'something'. It's 'someone'.

«Teru!»

This voice...

...Nami?

I force myself to focus on the person in front of me and I see those familiar, puzzled brown eyes looking at me with a mixture of relief and confusion. In a second, the pressure on my shoulders melts and a feeling of warmth and relief wraps my chest. All the things that were confused until a second ago become real again and my mind feels lighter, as if she was exactly what I need right now.

She's here. But _why _is she here in the first place? Shouldn't she be at the Christmas Party? She was there when she called me. How did she...?

«Teru, what happened? Your face...»

I hear the worry in her voice as she looks up at my face, and the burden of what just happened falls on my shoulders again. I know exactly what kind of face I have: what Nami is seeing right now is the face of a man who lost everything. And if there's something I don't want her to see, it's my weakness.

_'Please, don't look at me.'_

I don't want you to see me now. I don't want you to worry. I don't want you to be sad because of me.

Before I know, I'm running away again: running away from her as much as from everything else, like the coward I am. As I quickly pass by her side, I hear her voice calling me back, but I don't turn around.

I'm so sorry, Nami, but I can't face you right now. I can't look at you and explain what happened; I don't want to lie to you and pretend everything's all right. I just can't do it: I need time.

I keep running until I don't feel the cold air of December anymore, and realize I'm in my room. It's the same as always, but, somehow, it feels different... suffocating. It feels like there's no oxygen at all! Even if I know it's everything inside of my head, I reach out for the window and open it, before letting myself fall don't on the bed. I sit by the edge, holding my head in my hands, waiting for the sad thoughts and the feeling of pressure to go away.

As the cold breeze caresses me, my head gets a little lighter and I realize I'm slowly calming down. I can breath again, as much as I can think things throw rationally again; it's not much of a relief, though, because now I can't avoid the only question for which I haven't got an answer.

What now?

Yeah, what do I have to do now? I can't avoid Grandpa forever, so how should I behave in front of him from tomorrow on? Should I let him know that I know the reasons he gave me aren't the thruth, or should I keep on pretending so that at least he won't think I'm suffering because of him? I'm not angry, really: this decision must have been though for him, too. I can't behave like a brat toward him only because I feel down. After all, I spent half of my life telling lies to everyone: it shouldn't be too hard to keep doing it for a little longer.

And what about my plans for the future, now? I can lie about everything, but not about how I care about Sangoshou: maybe things were a little different before, but right now the café has a special place in my heart. This will never change. Still, there's no more time left: I'll graduate soon. I have to make a plan, and make it fast! Maybe the university would be the wisest choice, even if my parents would be the only ones happy about that.

...And Nami? What am I going to tell her?

As I'm thinking this, I hear a faint knock on my door. I don't bother answering: it must be Grandpa and, if I see him now, I won't be able to pretend in front of him. Of course it can't be Nami: she must have gone by now. She certainly won't stay outside in this cold after I behaved like a jerk and stood her there.

What an idiot I am! I know I need her, and still I chase her away! How could she manage to stick with someone like me all this time, I wonder!

Then, without waiting for my answer, the door opens and _she _appears like a pixie, her hair and the skirt of her dress waving in the breeze. An aqua blue party dress, covered only by a jacket. She must be cold, but she doesn't shiver and, in the dark room, her whole figure seems to sparkle. She looks so much like a ghost that I wonder if she's really here or if I'm imagining her.

She enters the room and quietly closes the door behind her, almost without any noise.

«If you keep the window opened like that, you'll catch a cold, you know?» she says in a soft, quiet voice, and reach out for the window to close it.

As soon as the breeze stops, it seems that the whole room is filled with her scent. Her usual smell, plus a little bit of perfume, I guess. So she's not a ghost: she's really here. She must have come directly from the party...

After closing the window, Nami simply sits next to me, so close that our shoulders presses together, and quietly grabs my hand. Hers is small, soft and cold, yet the feeling I get is of warmth.

She doesn't say a word, nor asks me questions, and I understand that she knows. I don't know how: maybe she spoke with Grandpa or something. In any case, her silence means more to me than any word she might say. She came for me: this is all that matters. I don't want anything more than this.

«Teru, is there anything I can do? If only I can...» she finally says in a kind voice, slowly drawing circles on my hand with her finger.

...It feels good. So good, in fact, that I can almost believe my words when I answer:

«Not really. I'm okay.»

«...You don't look okay at all, though» she whispers, powerless.

I think I know how she feels. She wants to help me, but can't figure out a way. Well, there's no way she can help me: there's nothing she can do, except for being here.

I look up at her face. She's looking at me with a mixture of worry and sadness and, as soon as our eyes meets, her grasp around my hand tightens.

I want to hug her and hold her close, if only for a minute: that would definitely make me feel better. Unfortunately I know that, even in a moment like this, I'll never dare: I'm too much of a coward, especially when Nami is concerned. Maybe I'll never be completely honest with her; she'd probably be better off with someone like Hariya: it would be easier, because he's not as hard to read as I am. He'd never let her down like I sometimes do. She would be happier, maybe.

This night, though, she's here with me. It might last a minute, some hours or a whole eternity, but she's _here_! So, at least for this once, I want her to stay by my side.

I want her to be only mine.

«Then... your lap» I suddenly say, making her raise her head in confusion.

«My lap?» she repeats slowly.

«Let me borrow your lap.»

I'm not expecting a positive answer. Actually, I'm not expecting anything at all: if she refuses, I certainly won't force her. After all, the situation have to sort of weird: it's late at night, she is not in the place she was supposed to be and I doubt her family knows about it; moreover, she's in a guy's room -a guy who's in love with her, mind you!- and said guy suddenly starts saying strange things. If she refuses, I certainly won't blame her.

But she doesn't.

After a few seconds of surprise and hesitation, she kneels on my bed and cover her knees with the skirt. She doesn't say a word, but there's no need to talk. Her gestures themselves are her answer.

As soon as she's ready, I lie down, resting my head on her lap.

...It's weird. I thought it would feel good... and it does, in a way, but not in the way I imagined. It's frustrating! We are close -really close!- and I can't do anything. I can feel her warmth, her softness; I can smell her sweet scent and feel every breath she takes, but I cannot touch her. And, to make it worse, no matter how I want it, _I can't get the thought of Sangoshou out of my head. _It's always there, in the back of my head, together with the awareness that's a_ll my fault_!

Then Nami's hand starts slowly caressing my hair, like she'd do with a kitten. I sigh and close my eyes.

This is better. Not bad at all. I still can't touch her, but at least _she's_ touching _me, _and her touch is healing. Right now, this is all I want.

«...It feels good.»

I thought I was only talking to myself, but apparently I said it out loud, because Nami answers:

«I'm glad.»

I open my eyes to look up at her face. She's smiling at me: not her usual naughty grin, but a sweet, comforting smile. She's obviously knows everything, but doesn't force me to talk: she's waiting for me to talk, to give her a signal.

So, I do it.

«I understood, you know? I just pretended not to notice.»

Her smile disappears and she turns serious again, but doesn't say anything. For a second her hand stops caressing my head, but quickly resumes in a few moments.

«Grandpa didn't say it, but he couldn't stand to see me going on like that anymore. So...»

My voice dies before I can finish the sentence.

Nami doesn't say anything but, looking up at her, I can tell what she's thinking. The awareness in her eyes is enough of an answer.

She knows Grandpa enough and, if she really did talk to him like I assume she did, she must have noticed something weird. Her expression is enough for me to understand that she thought the same thing.

My eyes starts stinging and my vision blur, making Nami's face turn into a white and brown stain. I close them again, so that at least she won't see me like this.

«Hey... Do you think I did everything that had to be done?»

I hate my voice right now. Why does it have to shake so much? Why do I have to be like this in front of her?

«You did the best you could, Teru.»

The best I could... Yeah, she is right: I did the best I could... but apparently it's not enough.

«...Right.»

The sting in my eyes has gone, but now my eyelids are so heavy that I can't open them again. Also, my mind is spacing out: I can't think straight anymore...

Am I sleepy?

«Nami...»

«Yes?»

«Can we stay like this a little longer? I'm... a little tired.»

Just a second of hesitation, and then...

«Okay.»

Before I know it, I find myself smiling. If only she knew how grateful I am for having her here, or how glad I am for having met her again! Right now, I don't know how things will go for us or if we'll ever be together, but maybe it doesn't matter. It's Christmas and we are together.

Yes, Christmas... Our last Christmas in high school.

«Merry Christmas, Nami» I mutter, as my consciousness is as far away as ever. «I'm glad you're here.»

I don't get to hear her answer, because, as soon as I stop talking, my mind finally disconnect. I can't think anymore: even the sorrow for what happened with Sangoshou is gone. The only thing I can still perceive are Nami's warmth, her hand caressing my hair and her voice as she's humming something. Her voice is very low, so I can barely hear it, but it sounds like one of those songs she calls 'music' and I call 'noise'. It's not bad, though: she's singing it as if it was a lullaby. I can't really understand everything of what it says, but it's something about a sailor who leaves his island to look for a new hope, after losing everything he had...

...Maybe that's what I should do, too. Sail away...

Then her voice fades away, and I don't know if I'm still awake or already sleeping. Dreams and reality are all mixed together.

As I'm trying to decide if I'm sleeping or not, a voice I know too well comes out of this chaos, whispering the words I always wanted to hear.

«I love you.»

...Yes, I'm definitely dreaming. But, since this is only a dream, don't wake me up! Interrupting a dream with Nami telling me she loves me is nothing but a crime!

I'll think about everything else tomorrow. Tonight I just want to be with the only one who can turn a bitter Christmas into something sweet.


	9. Nothing to lose

_Sorry for the terrible delay! I'm as late as I've never been before, and I KNOW IT! Unfortunately, I had my exams and, if I write, I can't study. If I try to do both, I don't pass the exams and write only horrible stuff (not to mention that I make even more grammar mistake than I already do... and I think they are already enough the way they are!). Anyway, I finally found a little bit of time and ended up writing this one. BEFORE YOU START, I'd like to clear a point: whatever I wrote about Saeki's parents are all MY SPECULATIONS, since I don't think he really does say in game how they are like. He mentions them a couple of times in some random events, if I'm not mistaken, but, since my knowledge in Japanese has some limits and I still haven't played the translated version (waiting for it to be 100% ready), I'm not really sure if I missed something that could help me understand the way they are. So I based everything on my own imagination. Anyway, if you know something more, you are free to correct me!  
__Hope you enjoy and thanks again to the ones who reviewed. I really appreciated your support.  
__Ok, less ranting and let's start!_

_**Nothing to lose**_

«Okay then, you stupid application form, let's clear a point: I don't like you and you don't like me, so let's try to keep it as painless as possible for us both. Agreed?»

Maybe I should start being worried about my sanity, if I'm talking loudly with an application form. It's not like it can answer, right? And of course it can't get filled on it's own. I'm the one who has to do it. And yet, despite the fact that I've been sitting in front of it for a couple of hours, I can't get myself to do it. It might be because, if I do it, it would be as if I really did put an end to everything. Even if it doesn't make sense, there still is a side of me that wants to believe that, if I don't sign that document, I will still be able to take my dreams -and my love- back. This must be the reason why, every time I approach the pen to the paper (one of the millions application forms my parents shove in front of me), I remember the day I left Habataki City... specifically the moment I said goodbye to Nami at the beach.

When I told her I would leave to go back to my family, that I was going to give up to their pressures and going to the university, she didn't understand. Actually, I can't blame her: I don't understand myself either.

She said that giving up like that isn't like me. She was so sure of herself, so _trusting, _when she listed all the things that made her believe this, that I felt like the worst human being ever existed for disappointing her. And, as always when I feel unsure, I reacted by attacking her.

_«Then what if it was just a lie? What if the one at school is the real me, and the one you know outside was a fake?» _

The sound of my own words echoes in my head, so harsh it hurts. No wonder Nami's face completely changed after I said that. I realized I hurt her back then, and that was what I wanted, because she wouldn't give up otherwise. Still, I hadn't thought about how much it would hurt to see her so miserable. I didn't want for her to feel bad, because, considering the way I behaved, I don't deserve not even half of her sorrow. Not even half of the half.

As if it wasn't enough as it is, it's not only Nami I ended up hurting, but Grandpa too. With my sudden departure, he must have thought I was leaving him behind... and he was right in a way, because that's what I did, even if it wasn't really what I wanted.

And now what? What have I gotten in return for giving up everything and hurting the people I love?

I can't find peace; that's what I got. Ever since I came back home, despite my parents always repeating that I did the right thing, I've done nothing but pacing around, thinking about nothing but Nami, Grandpa and Sangoshou in this order. And regretting, of course.

What a mess. What a _mess! What have I done? _WHAT AM I _STILL DOING?_ Why am I here looking at a stupid application form, instead of where I should be?

«Why am I such an _idiot_?» I roar like a wounded lion, hitting the desk of my room with a punch.

«Who's an idiot?»

«...Eh?»

Suddenly my father's voice interrupts my thoughts and I turn around, only to see him standing on the door, holding his jacket with a hand and the car keys with the other.

There he is, the perfect image of a man who's completely satisfied of himself: he has a _perfect_ job, a _perfect_ wife, a _perfect_ house and a _perfect_ car. If we had a dog, I'm sure it would be _perfect _too. The only thing that hasn't been perfect in his life up to now was his own son, who, instead of wanting to become a lawyer or a doctor like he dreamt, wanted to take over the café of his Grandpa. You can only try and imagine his joy when I came back, announcing that I wanted to go to whatever university he wanted. His son became the _perfect _son! Finally!

...Disgusting.

Now, don't get me wrong: I love and respect my father the way any honest son would, and I'm sure he wants what's good for me. It's only that I'm always a bit on edge when he's around, because we are completely different; and now that I look at him standing there, I realize that he's different from Grandpa too. How can they be father and son, I wonder.

«What's with that face? You're spacing out, Teru. Is there something wrong?» he asks in a _perfect_ worried voice when I miss to answer his question.

«Tired, I guess» I answer, with a desperate look at the still empty application form. Then, before he can asks me more, I change the subject and point at the car key he's holding. «Are you going out?»

He nods.

«A colleague invited your mother and I for dinner. Actually, he invited the whole family» he specify, looking at me with a meaningful look, «but if you are tired, it's better if you stay at home. At least you won't be grumpy the whole time.»

«I'll pass then.»

I'm trying to sound as regretful as I can, but it's impossible. I have no will whatsoever to go with them. I've had enough of being on edge for today, thank you.

My father mutters something by himself and turns to leave, but, before he goes, he glances quickly at me over his shoulder.

«You should fill those forms, Teru. Why would you graduate beforehand, if you're not going to decide on the university quickly?»

I hiss like a snake and give him a ''glare of doom'' even worse than the ones Shiba, a guy in my same year in Hanegasaki High, was famous for.

«_Goodbye, Dad!_»

Finally he turn back and goes out of my room. I don't move, keeping silent so as to hear his footsteps down the stair; I don't move even when I finally hear the door closing and my parents voice disappear behind it. I stay still and silent until I hear the engine of the car coming from the courtyard and then, when it finally disappears too, I get up, slamming the pen I was holding on the desk.

«THIS IS TOO MUCH!» I explode, letting out all the frustration I haven't dared to express up to now.

If I don't get out of here, and quick!, I'll drive myself nuts! I need some fresh air... and, of course, a place where I'll be as far as possible from those damned application forms!

Before I can even finish wearing the jacket, I'm already out of the house, walking down the street without a destination. For the first couple of minutes, I walk so fast that people who see me passing by must think I'm running away from someone; then gradually, as the feeling of pressure I felt when I was at home melts, I slow down a little. It takes me a while to realize where I am: after spending all that time in Habataki City, I almost forgot le roads of my hometown.

«This is weird...» I mutter by myself with a sour grin, as I realize once more that I don't belong to this place. Maybe I've never belonged to it.

Here I will never wake up at the sound of the waves. Here I will never see the sea in the morning, when it melts with the sky at the horizon. Here I will always be forced to wear that mask that Nami managed to take away from me, if only for a few moments.

Trying not to think about it, I take a look around to figure out where I am. There are some houses, a little park and... yeah, that big building is indeed a school. If I remember correctly, there's a school not far away from the station square: that must be it. So I'm not lost, after all.

Everything around me is silent: only a few people pass by every once in a while and the students of the school must be still inside, since it's still school hour. I'm probably the only high-schooler who's not trapped inside right now.

Oh, right! Former high-schooler. I can almost consider myself an university student by now.

With another sigh (maybe the 100th today), I drag my feet toward the nearest bench inside of the park and sit down, looking blankly toward the school gates.

...Now that I think about it, did I get the key? I got out of the house so fast that I don't remember if I've gotten everything. Caught by this sudden doubt, I search inside of my pockets and find out that indeed the cellphone and some keys are there... only the keys are not the key of my house! I was so in hurry that I've gotten the wrong ones... or maybe it's because I'm so used of getting _those keys?_

Yes, I'm talking about those keys in particular... or better, a single metal key, attached to a seashell keychain. The key of Sangoshou.

Of course there's a part of myself, the most sensible one, that realizes that right now I'm in troubles. I've gotten the wrong keys, so I'm locked out of the house and I won't be able to go inside until my parents are back. Moreover, outside is sort of cold and I don't know when they'll be back. Yes, I'm in troubles.

Yet, there's another part of me that could care less and keeps looking at that key I'm holding, letting a bunch of memories come back to me.

«I'm an idiot» I whisper, tracing the lines of the keychain with the finger. «Why have I given up? Why?»

It's hard to find an answer, especially concerning something I did out of impulse. When I left, I didn't realize how much I was going to regret it... and maybe now it's too late.

As I'm thinking about this, I hear a bell ringing inside of the nearby school and soon after the voices of the students going back home fills the area. They chat, laugh, call out to their friends as they go out of the gates. They look happy.

Looks like everyone has some reason to enjoy school. Even I, who hated school, had one.

Nami. Lately, if there was a reason for me to wake up every morning and go to school, it was her.

...No, I don't have to think about her. It only makes me miserable, so don't think! Stop thinking!

But the usual strategy doesn't work. I can't stop thinking about her, about her face when I told her our friendship was nothing but a lie. I will never forget.

I will never forget her smile, her voice, the way she narrowed her eyes when she was angry or the way she hummed by herself when she was happy. If I think about it, there are a bunch of memories about her I will never be able to erase; if only I realized before how important she was for me, maybe I wouldn't be so silly in the end.

_«The time before I met you, what I did or though about before, I don't remember it anymore.»_

I wasn't lying when I said that. And now that I'm back at that ''before'', I can say how much I need her.

«This is going nowhere.»

Before I can feel even more miserable, the sensible part of myself forces me out of those thoughts and I get up from the bench, pushing the key of Sangoshou back in the pocket.

I can stroll a little more if I want, but then I'll have to give a call to my parents and tell them I'm locked outside... unless I want to stay here and catch a cold, of course.

...Somehow, I think I prefer a cold, rather than facing them right now.

Then, as I get up to leave the park, a girl wearing the uniform of the nearby school quickly passes by my side, holding something in her hand and calling out to a boy not far away. He turns around, waits for her and, while I can't hear what they are saying, I still see her handing him the little box she is carrying.

And I remember that today is...

The 14th of February. Valentine's Day.

CRAP! Of all the days I could decide to go out, WHY TODAY? It's not like I need something else to think about Nami! I already think about her enough, don't you think?

But it's too late. Seeing the two of them remembers me that this would be the first year I don't get Valentine chocolates from Nami. She always gave me handmade ones, because she said she needed a ''guinea-pig'' to ''test her skills''. I still remember the first time she handed me her chocolates, on our first year, when we where slowly going over the ''hate phase''...

_«Saeki! Here! I have some chocolates for you! I poured all of my feelings for you into them, so eat them properly, right?»  
__She looked so happy and cheerful when she handed me the box that I actually felt a little pleased. It's not like I didn't get enough chocolates (the Princesses usually gave me so much that I was seriously considering of giving them to someone else), but getting some from Nami was different. It was like a white flag, a sign that the war was over.  
__But, when I opened the box...  
__«...You really must hate me, then!»  
__«Hate you? Why?»  
__«You said you poured your feelings into them... and look at how they are!»  
__Those chocolates not only were BLUE instead of brown, but even the decorations over them looked somewhat like SKULLS. And they STINKED! In a few words, everything of those chocolates seemed to tell me ''Don't eat us if you want to live''. Nami didn't seem to notice, though.  
__«What's wrong with them?»  
__«Nami, chocolate is supposed to be BROWN! How the HECK did you manage to turn it BLUE?»  
__«Mmmmh... Maybe I shouldn't have added all that salt...»  
__«SALT?»  
__«Well, the recipe said that you needed to add a little bit of salt to give the chocolate a certain flavour...»  
__«Nami, how many salt is ''a little bit'', in your opinion?»  
__«Er... Two cups? That's how much of it I put in there. Now that I think about it, I put more salt than sugar...»  
__I didn't need to hear anything else.  
__«YOU IDIOT! WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU WANT TO POISON ME? I know you hate me, Nami, but this is MURDER!»  
__«Oh, come on, Saeki! No need to be so dramatic! I know they look a little...»  
__«They don't LOOK. They ARE dangerous! Throw them away! Don't let anyone eat them! Burn them! ...No, it's better if you don't burn them, or they'll pollute the air. Then... close them inside of those boxes for radioactive stuff and bury them!»  
__She pouted cutely like she always did and took the chocolates back from my hands.  
__«Right, then. If you don't want them, I'll give them to Yuu-kun, the kid who lives next door. He'll surely be more grateful than you are.»  
__Before she could turn around and go away, I grabbed her arm and got the chocolates back.  
__«NO WAY! If the poor kid dies poisoned, than it will be my fault for not accepting them! I'll eat them... but be aware that, if I die, I'll chop you like I've never chopped you before!»  
__«If you're dead, you won't be able to chop me, you know?» she said with a grin. «So try not to. I don't want my guinea-pig to die on me... especially since you are the first person I've ever given handmade chocolates to!» _

As I remember that scene, I can't help by smile. I never realized until now how crazy the two of us must have looked from the outside. No wonder most of the people who knew about us thought we should be a couple.

...Well, that day I _did _eat Nami's chocolates and had the worst stomach-ache of my whole life. Still, I survived and the following day I really did chop her as hard as I could without hurting her for real. Maybe that's the reason why, the following Valentine's Day, the chocolates were not only edible, but also quite good.

This year, though, no Valentine Chocolate for me... especially not from Nami.

I sigh once again like a stupid, before walking away. I think I won't be able to stand it if I see another couple exchanging chocolates right in front of my eyes. I don't want to be forced to realize once again how much I love Nami and how much I miss her.

Right then, as I walk down a less crowded road, a little voice starts whispering inside of my head, like a little devil came to tempt me.

_''If you miss her so much, you can still go back. Go back to Habataki City. Meet your girl once again, tell her you're sorry and that you'll never leave her again. Tell her you are the boy she met when you were kids. Tell her you love her. You may never know: maybe she'll forgive you.''_

Yeah... This would be good. Until some months ago, I would have never considered to do something like that. I would have been scared. Confess my feelings to Nami, tell her who I am... Yeah, I would be scared to death! What if she rejected me? What if she said I was a friend and nothing more? What if she said what happened when we were kids wasn't important? How would I feel then?

But now I don't think that way anymore. If I saw Nami right now, I would certainly run after her and beg her for forgiveness; I would tell her how wrong I was, how _idiot _I was when I left her, that I was lying when I told her all those horrible things. Yes, I would tell her that I love her, too: right now, I would be more scared of losing her, than I would be of my own feelings. If I had her, I'm sure I could go over everything; if I had her, I could start fighting again.

But, if I went back to Habataki City to meet her and she wouldn't want to listen to me? What if she hated me already? Don't get me wrong: she'd have all the reasons to. I treated her the worst way I could. I lied and I left her without even listening to what she had to say... even if, deep inside, I knew she was right.

I can stand everything, really. I could even survive with her rejection... but not with her hate.

_''Then, what?'' _the voice says, answering my inner doubts. _''Now you're still on time, but soon it will be too late. What would you do, then? You'll regret it forever, if you give up now! Maybe she hates you, right; but, if you let things the way they are, you've already lost her anyway! So throw away that damned pride of yours and go back!''_

Right. The voice is right. If I don't do something, I've lost her anyway. I don't have anything to lose anymore. If only I knew there was a possibility, a tiny, little possibility of her at least listening to me... If I knew she doesn't hate me, then...

As I am considering this, my cellphone starts ringing so suddenly that it gives me one heck of a scare.

Damn you, cellphone! I'm trying to take a decision here, you know? And an important one, too! Couldn't you ring in another moment?

Growling quietly by myself, I take it out of the pocket and look at the number on the display, expecting to see my father or my mother numbers on it. Who else could call me, otherwise? It's not like I have friends around here. The only ones I have... or better, _had_, are in Habataki City, and they are probably all angry at me right now.

Still, it's not my parents' numbers I see on the display, but one single word: _**''Unknown''.**_

A private number? Who may it be? Who could call me with a private number?

Taken by the curiosity, a bring the cellphone to my ear and answer.

«Hello?»

«Finally! I thought I did something wrong with this stupid modern procedures!»

A familiar voice I haven't heard for some weeks now, but that would be impossible for me to forget. A voice I missed almost as much as Nami's.

«GRANDPA? Is that really you? Why did you call me with a private number?»

«Of course it's me! Who else? And I'm using a private number because you wouldn't answer otherwise!»

Right. It's true. But, if he got as far as learning how to make a private call to contact me, then...

Immediately the worst possibilities come in my mind and a shock runs down my spine, making me shiver.

«Has something happened?»

«Nothing bad... at least not in the measure you are thinking. As far as I know, everyone is fine.»

I relax and sigh in relief. Don't give me such scares anymore, Grandpa!

«Then why did you call me? I though...»

«You thought I was angry at you, right? That's why you didn't answer when I tried to call you before.»

Er... This is sort of true, but there's another reason: after I realized my choice was wrong, I was also a little ashamed. I didn't want to admit I've been an idiot in front of him. So...

Oh, well, WHO CARES? This is not the reason why he called, RIGHT?

«_This is not the point, Grandpa!_ If you are calling just to scold me, then...»

«I'm not calling you to scold you, Teru... even if I _am_ angry and, if I'll ever get my hands on you... well, I'll probably _CHOP_ you.»

WHAT? Hey, stop right there! I'm the only one who can chop here! What's with everyone stealing my trademark?

«First, no one can chop here but _three people_, and they would be _me, myself and I. _Second, if not to scold me, then can you tell me why you called?»

You have no idea how much I missed bickering with Grandpa! It's so refreshing! For the first time in weeks I feel myself again.

At my question, Grandpa's voice suddenly becomes serious.

«I have something that belongs to you. I'm not sure if you deserve it, but at least that girl does.»

Another shock runs down my spine, but this time is far more unpleasant. My stomach starts growling as if a wolf lived in there and my hands shake so much I almost drop the cellphone.

«That... girl...?»

«Nami. She has been here a while ago. She brought Valentine Chocolates for you and, when I reminded her you are not here any longer, she answered that, in case you would be back, you'd certainly put up a tantrum if you didn't receive chocolates.»

I can't believe it! It feels so unreal that I'm almost tempted not to believe him, but... well, these are definitely things Nami would say. It must be true, than! She really did...

«Listen, Teru: I know what your deals are. I know why you've run away from everything...and I know I have my share of faults. But that poor girl has no fault at all, so if you care a little about her, you don't have to leave her behind. She didn't say it, but she misses you. Maybe I don't know her as well as you do, but I've seen her for three years and I noticed her smile wasn't the same anymore.»

Something inside of me breaks and Nami's face flashes in front of my eyes with that usual grin of hers.

Is she suffering because of me?

Does she miss me?

Is she still believing I would be back?

Doesn't she hate me?

«I can't tell you what to do, Teru» Grandpa's voice continues. « I think you've proven me that I can't when you left. Still, I can give you an advice: you shouldn't do something if it makes you unhappy and makes the people you love suffer. But, if you really do care about Nami like I think you do, then I'm positive you already figured out what you should do. Your chocolates are waiting for you.»

Without giving me the time to reply, he hangs up and, as soon as I don't hear his voice anymore, my energies drown and the phone falls from my hand and ends up on the ground. I leave it there, staring blankly in front of me.

I still can't believe what I just heard. I must be dreaming. It can't be true!

But, when I finally pick up the cellphone again and look at the list of received calls, the ''Unknown'' number is there. I wasn't dreaming, then: Grandpa really did call me to tell me of Nami's chocolates... those chocolates I though I wouldn't receive!

That girl...! How can someone be so incredibly awesome! And how can I make someone so awesome suffer? How can I leave her behind, if I know I'll never love anyone as much as I love her?

A strange feeling wraps my chest tightly and I'm not sure whether it's joy for the fact that she doesn't hate me, or pain for what I'm making her go through because I was a selfish brat. I feel like laughing and crying in the same moment and I'm not really sure how I feel, but my mind has never been this clear before. Maybe for the first time in my life, I'm absolutely sure of what I MUST do.

I quickly turn around and walk toward my house. I have a lot of things to take care of, so I'd better hurry. I know I'm still locked outside, but who cares! I can still break a window, right?

I don't care about anything anymore. The only one I think about is Nami. Her and nothing else.

_''I'm sorry, Nami! I'm so sorry! I was wrong! I'm coming back, so please listen to me just once more! I'll never be so stupid again! I'll never let you down again! I swear!''_

Yeah, I swear it: because this is the only promise I will never break.

Never again.


	10. After the Cliffhanger

_First thing, THANK YOU! I was really happy to see from the reviews that, even after all the time it took me to update, there are people who still waited for my story to go on! This really made my day!  
__About this next chapter... well, it was kind of difficult to write, so much that at first I decided to cut it. Then I changed my mind when I realized that I couldn't do it, because it's an important scene! But messing with a scene I already liked the way it was in the game wasn't easy. To make it more ''original'' and a little more realistic, I was forced to change it, since in the game... well, it's basically a monologue and I don't think a normal girl would stand there and listen, given the situation. So, I tried to put more dialogue in it, while trying to still follow the pattern of the original scene. __I think it turned out to be a mess, with me always writing more than I should and be ironical when I should just be romantic. Still, I'll let you be the judges of that.  
__Also, this was supposed to be the final chapter, but as I was writing it I had the idea for a little epilogue, so I'm sorry to say that you'll have to bear with me for a little longer!  
__Anyway, here's the next chapter and thank you for reading. _

_**AFTER THE CLIFFHANGER**_

«I can't believe it! Is it really _him?_»

«I don't think he has a twin brother, so I suppose it _is_ him.»

«What is _he _doing here? I thought they let him graduate beforehand because of his good grades!»

«Yeah! Why is he here? And why is he running that way? Is he fleeing from someone?»

As expected, there was no way for me to run away from the other students' voices. I took the bother to wear my old school uniform, so as to pass as unnoticed as possible, but apparently it was useless. I could as well climb on the rooftop and scream I was there: the effect would have been the same.

«Do you think it has something to do with...?»

«Oh, right! There are no other explanations! That must be the reason!»

«I don't know exactly what happened between them, but I heard that...»

Normally, their insinuations would bother me, but this time I just could care less and just keep running through the courtyard, trying the reach the crowd of third years students that just came out of the auditorium after the Graduation Ceremony. I have no time to lose, because this is my last chance. If I fail now, it will be all over! If I don't see her now, then I'll lose her!

Today is the 2nd of March, the day of the Graduation Ceremony at Hanegasaki High... and a fortnight _after _the day I _was supposed_ to go back in Habataki City. My intention was to go back immediately after Grandpa's phone call, but all sort of things happened. And when I say 'all sort of things', I seriously mean it!

First, that evening, when my parents got back from that dinner of theirs and found one of the windows broken and me on the door with all of my belongings already packed, my father had an heart attack... and I mean it! We had to take him to the hospital and all, where it turned out it was nothing serious: it was just because of the shock, but still enough to delay my departure for some days. When he finally got back on his feet again and I managed to explain that I had no intention of giving up on university just yet (since, let's face it, it's the most reasonable thing for me to do right now), but just choose _where _I was going to attend it, I managed to make it to Habataki City right on time for the graduation day. So here I am, on the verge of an heart failure, surrounded by the surprised looks and voices of the other students, trying to find Nami... who, by the way, is nowhere to be seen.

Damn it! Why? Where the heck is she? I can't be so late, right? The Ceremony can't be ended from too much time!

Right as I'm considering to call her name out loud, hoping she would hear me, I spot two familiar faces between the crowd of newly graduated students: Hariya and Nishimoto. They are talking and maybe it's just me, but their faces look somewhat dark.

I'm safe! They are Nami's friend, right? So they must know where she is!

«Hariya! ...Get out of my way, you!... HARIYAAAAAA!» I call out to him, pushing some other students out of my way to reach him.

Nothing. He didn't hear me... or is he pretending not to hear?

Ok, then: I have never thought I would go this far, but seems like I have no choice. I said I would do everything for Nami, right? Then, the time as come to prove it!

I gather all the breath I've left and call him again with all I've got.

«HARII! YOU USELESS PIECE OF SCUM! HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BECOME A ROCKSTAR, IF YOU CAN'T HEAR THE VOICE OF A FRIEND OF YOURS IN THE CROWD! I'M TALKING TO YOU, HARII!»

See, Nami? I even called him by his nickname because of you!

...Okay, I called him 'useless piece of scum' right after, but this was due: he wouldn't recognize it was me, if I didn't.

Finally, I see Hariya's expression freeze and his lips moving to form my name, even if I can't hear his voice. He starts looking around and finally spots me struggling against the crowd. Immediately, both he and Nishimoto move toward me and we finally meet halfway, all of us panting because of the struggle.

«What the heck are you doing here, Saeki? I thought you were gone!» Hariya finally says, once he's caught his breath again.

«Change of plans!» I answer quickly. I have no time to explain. «How long ago has the Ceremony ended?»

«About twenty minutes ago. Why?» Nishimoto answers in his place, looking at the hour on her cellphone display.

Crap! I'm terribly late!

«Is everyone still here?»

Hariya understands what I'm trying to say, because his eyes narrow and he glares coldly at me like he never did before.

«If you are talking about Nami, she's already gone and I don't see why I should tell you where. After all, you treated her like crap! It's your fault if she's been on edge up to now, y'know?»

I imagined he could react like that, but I _never _would have guessed it could hurt so much to realize he's right. I really _did _treat her badly, and I have no excuses for it. Still, I don't have time to discuss about this!

«Hariya, I'm begging you! Tell me where she is!»

«What are you going to do, then? Make her suffer again? There's no way in hell I'd do that!»

«I don't want to make anyone suffer: I just have to tell her something!»

«You've already did enough, Saeki! You haven't seen her for a whole month, you've made her feel sad and lonely all the while, you never even called her! If you saw her in this days, you'd understand yourself that it's better if you stay away from her!»

...Is the situation this bad? I knew, by what Grandpa told me, that Nami looked sad lately, but... I've screwed up this badly?

There's no need for an answer. I can see the truth in Hariya's words and in Nishimoto's glare. Still, I can't give up. I've come this far and I won't go away before I see Nami.

«Listen, Hariya... I know what I did is wrong. I screwed up badly not only with Nami, but with everyone and with myself too. I'm really sorry. But please, _please!_, give me the possibility tell her I'm sorry! Just this once!»

He grinds his teeth and I see his hands shaking, like he's trying to keep himself from punching me.

«Give me a good reason to do it!»

Damn, damn, DAMN! This is going nowhere! He'll never tell me, and I can't even get angry, because he's _right! _DAMN IT!

«I'M IN LOVE WITH HER! IS THIS ENOUGH OF A REASON?»

I shouted so loud that in exasperation that, despite the chaos around us, some student turned around to look. Now both Hariya and Nishimoto are watching me with big eyes, as if they are wondering if what they saw and heard right now happened for real. Guess it's not like me. Well, lately I've been surprising myself too.

It takes a while for Hariya to recollect himself. After a couple of seconds, he opens his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Nishimoto precedes him, cutting his words before he even starts.

«At the lighthouse.»

THE LIGHTHOUSE?

«W-what...? Are you sure?»

She shrugs.

«I can't say I am. All I know is that before the ceremony she muttered something about the lighthouse and ''make sure of something'' and, right after it ended, she said goodbye and left. That's all I know. I sort of thought she wanted to make sure that the phantom ship I told her about really existed, even if I told her not to go...»

Make sure of something? _At the lighthouse? _I don't want to delude myself, so maybe I should stop thinking before it happens, but if this is really the way I believe it is... If it really is...!

«I got it! Nishimoto, thank you! I owe you one! When this will be over, you can ask me _anything! _If it's something I can do, I'll definitely do it!»

If possible, her eyes grow even wider and she blushes slightly as she glances at Hariya.

«Okay, then... I think I'll accept your offer then...»

«HEY!»

Hariya interrupts and, before I can dash away, grabs the jacket of my uniform, forcing me to stop.

«Don't ignore me, Saeki! You can't just get away with this! It's unfair! You can mess up every time you want and people just _forgive you!_ This is not right!»

I sigh and shake off his arm, but, despite my rush, I know I can't go just yet... at least until I'll settle things with Hariya, if only a little.

«Than make it right. Give me what I deserve.»

I open my arms, so as to show him I won't do anything to stop him. Hariya hesitates and look around, as if he was checking if someone was looking. As an answer to his behaviour, I smirk.

«What are you scared of? You graduated exactly twenty minutes ago: you can't be suspended, nor expelled, nor anything else.»

Hariya's eyes narrow and his glance become steely. With that face, he almost looks scary. Than, a lot faster than I though, his punch hits my stomach with a strength that, honestly, I didn't expect him to have. I feel like a bomb exploded in my stomach and I almost fall on my knees.

Wow! He must have been really angry, because it hurts like HELL! Still, despite the pain, it feels right! Yeah, it's right!

I straighten up, while everyone around us turns to look with stunned face. For a second, everyone is silent, waiting to understand what happened and what's going to happen. Then Hariya's eyes meet mine... and we both start laughing, much to everyone's surprise.

«Wow, it feels _awesome! _So, how is it, pal? Does it hurt?» Hariya grins, his usual smirk back at his place.

«Like hell!» I answer, laughing and coughing in the same time. «Oh, well, I deserve every second of it, so I don't mind.»

«Okay, then. For _this time_ we are even, but try and hurt Nami again, and I'll give you the rest of these!» he shakes the fists in front of me once again and then stretches in a relaxed why. «Now go to see her. Who knows? Maybe she won't beat you up herself! Haruhi, let's go: no need to keep the 'Prince' any longer. He has his Princess to look for.»

Feeling a lot lighter despite the pain caused by the punch, I turn around, but, before dashing away, a quickly glance at him from over my shoulder.

«Mermaid.»

He frowns, perplexed.

«Eh?»

«Not Princess, but Mermaid.»

Hariya looks at me for a second, then shrugs.

«Ahh, whatever! Go! And you, what are you looking at?» he adds, seeing how everyone was still looking at us. «It was just a graduation joke between us! Nothing to worry about, so mind your own business!»

He then walks away, dragging Nishimoto with him.

«Oh, men are so _stupid! _You scared me there for a second!» I hear her complain, before they both disappear.

Without waiting any longer, I run out of the courtyard, the stomach still on fire, but the feet as fast as they've never been. If I had to do a 'mission report' right now, I would have to say that I'm already failing: I've missed the Ceremony and Nami and I've been beaten up by Hariya. Still, I think I won: at least I settled things with... well, the person who looks the most like a best friend for me. Anyway, this is only the first part of the game. My personal 'Final Boss', Nami, is still waiting for me at the lighthouse... or so I hope. I have no idea what will happen when I'll be there. I can hope, but nothing more than that. I don't know if everything will be fine, or if I'll lose everything, but I can't run away anymore.

The beach is not that far away from the school. I know, because I walked down that street a million times at least. Still, I feel like I've been running for hours! It's like one of those dreams where you see the destination in front of you but, no matter what, you can't reach it. I don't know how much time has passed from when I left school: could be minutes, hours or even centuries. All I know is that, when I left the gates, the sky was still blue, and now it's quickly turning orange.

_''I have to be faster! Come on! Just a little more!''_

But, no matter how much I want it, I can't run faster than this: my lungs are already exploding the way it is and, if I collapse out of exhaustion right now, I will never reach the lighthouse!

After what looks like an eternity, I reach the beach and the lighthouse appears in front of me like the tower of a castle against the orange sky. It's getting late... will she still be there?

I try to run a little faster, but running on the sand is not exactly easy, even if you're used to it. No matter how hard you try, you'll always end up being slower than normal.

As I run as fast as I can, my vision starts getting a little blurred because of exhaustion and, even if I keep my eyes on the lighthouse, other images start overlapping with its shadow.

They are memories. Memories from a long time ago.

_«Here you are! Found you!»  
__I was sitting on the seashore, looking at the sea. The sun was setting and I knew it was almost time for dinner, but I didn't want to go back home yet: I wanted to stay out and play a little more, but, before I realized it, I couldn't think about any new game. So I just stayed there, waiting for Grandpa to call me, until I heard that voice.  
__I knew it well, even if last time I heard it, she was crying. This time it was different.  
__When I turned around, as I imagined, the girl called Nami was beside me. She was smiling: a really cute naughty grin she didn't have before. Somehow, she looked even prettier than the first time I saw her.  
__«Ah, it's you. You got lost again?» I asked, standing up as she approached.  
__She smirked and shook her head.  
__«No. I don't get lost anymore, you know?»  
__She frowned slightly, but it lasted only a second, and I thought it was because of the light.  
__«So, since I don't get lost anymore, I've come to look for you so I could tell you!»  
__«Tell me what?»  
__«That I don't get lost anymore! What else?»  
__She laughed, and I sighed. That girl was really strange!  
__«You came all the way to tell me this? You're weird, you know?»  
__Nami smiled with a little bit of embarrassment, admitting it was true... but then her smile turned into a serious expression and she started playing nervously with a strand of her short hair.  
__«Well, there's another thing I wanted to tell you. Dad said that we'll have to move in another place in a week, so I won't be coming here anymore.»  
__«...Is this place far?»  
__She nodded.  
__«I don't know how far, but Dad said we won't be able to come here for a while.»  
__Something inside of me broke and for a while I couldn't react. So she was moving away. What was so strange about it? A lot of people do this, right? After all, I barely knew her! She wasn't my friend or anything!  
__...Still, it hurts. I didn't want her to go away. I wanted to know her better, play with her, and maybe...  
__«...Why are you telling me?» I managed to say after a while.  
__«Well...». She thought about it for a while, then smiled sadly. «Because it's sad, right? I thought that we could be friends, play together and then , when we are older, we could get married!»  
__I gulped and, before I knew, I was blushing.  
__«G-g-g-g-g-g-get married? What are you saying? We don't even know each other! I bet you don't even remember my name!»  
__«Of course I remember! It's... it's...»  
__When I saw that she really didn't remember, I glared at her and she pouted.  
__«Don't look at me like that! It's not like I think about your name when I think about you: you are you even if you have no name. And when you like someone, you like someone: the rest is not important!»  
__«And you like me?»  
__Once again, she smiled like it was the most normal thing in the world.  
__«Yup! I like you!»  
__Now I was blushing wildly. What with this girl? She was crazy or what? But... it wasn't that bad. Really! It was the first time a girl told me she liked me: it was strange, but also warm. Kinda like how I felt the first time I met her.  
__«But now I have to move in a far place, so we can't get married anymore, right?»  
__Again, I felt as if someone grabbed my heart and squeezed it. Why did she have to move away? Why did she appear in front of me in the first place, if now she had to leave me?  
__...Yeah, maybe she was right. If you like someone, you like someone. And I liked her, even if I barely knew her.  
__«...Why not?»  
__She blinked, surprised.  
__«Because, if we are far away, we won't be able to get married. It's obvious, right?»  
__This was right, but, if there was a way...  
__«Come with me!»  
__I grabbed her wrist and took her with me toward Sangoshou, where I knew Grandpa was. At first she protested, but then curiosity won her over and she followed me.  
__The both of us stormed inside like two hurricane, surprising Grandpa.  
__«Teru, here you are! I was almost coming to call you for... but who's this cute miss? A friend of yours?»  
__«Pleased to meet you! My name is Nami and I'm his girlfriend!» she introduced herself without hesitation, before I could say anything.  
__I blushed but didn't deny it, and Grandpa just smiled.  
__«I see. Well, it must be something serious, if you already introduce your girlfriend to the family.»  
__«That's not the point!» I roared, getting angry so as to hide my embarrassment! «Grandpa, could you tell her the story you told me? The one about the Mermaid?»  
__Grandpa didn't answer immediately. He watched us with a mysterious look on his face, before he finally smiled again.  
__«Well, then. I just happen to have a few minutes to spare. Let's go to the lighthouse: that's the right place to tell you the story.»  
__And so he did. He led us to the lighthouse and told us the story about the Mermaid and the Young Man, the sad story without an ending that, for some reason, had been engraved in my mind ever since he first told me. While she was listening, Nami looked at first curious and fascinated, but, when it ended, she was seriously bothered.  
__In the end, when Grandpa finished his story, the both of us went out on the balcony, of the lighthouse, looking at the sea. The sun was setting: soon she would have to leave me, and I didn't know if I would see her again. I was sad, but didn't want to show it, because she looked sad too.  
__Finally, after a long silence, she spoke.  
__«Did the mermaid and the young man meet again?»  
__She was talking about the story. Was this the part that bothered her?  
__«Nobody knows.»  
__«...It's so sad, though» she sighed again, looking down.  
__«Well, this is how the story goes.»  
__«...It's not fair.»  
__She didn't answer, still looking down. I thought I knew what she was thinking: she thought that we would end up like the couple from the story. I knew because I thought about it too. But that wasn't the reason why I led her there and let her listen to it.  
__The reason was another.  
__«We are not like them. We'll meet again: when you'll be gone, I'll look for you and I'll find you for sure.»  
__She didn't raise her head, still looking down like she didn't really believe me.  
__«...Really?»  
__«Yes. So, could you raise your head?»  
_

Right when I'm thinking I will never reach it, I find myself in front of the door of the lighthouse. My lungs are stinging and I have barely any breath left, but _I'm here! _Just a little effort and it's over! So, dear lungs, wait a little more before you explode: at least give me enough time to speak with Nami!

With another little effort, I run up to the door and push it. It's not locked, so it opens without any resistance. I enter inside and, at first, the only things I perceive are the sudden darkness and the smell of dust; then, as my eyes get used to the darkness, I finally see enough to find my way toward the stairway.

No one has been here for a while: I wouldn't be surprised if nobody had been here ever since Nami and I were little. This is supposed to be 'our place', in a way: after all, this is where we kisses for the first time...

The more I climb up, the more I breath hard. One could say it's because I ran for so long, but that's not it. I'm scared: scared not to see her there. If she's gone, then...

I don't want to think about it. She must be there! She MUST!

Finally, after what looked like an eternity, the stairway ends and, after all that darkness, rays of light hit my eyes like a punch, making me blink.

The door of the balcony is opened on the usual beautiful scene of the sun setting on the sea, making the water sparkle like a million rubies. And there, leaning on the railing, there is the silhouette of a girl wearing the grey and white Hanegasaki High uniform, her dark hair waving in the breeze while she looks thoughtfully at the sea.

She's beautiful; so beautiful that she doesn't even look real. She looks even more beautiful and charming than the first time I met her on the beach.

She really looks like a mermaid.

«I finally found you!» I exclaim out of relief and triumph as soon as I realize she really is there and I haven't missed my last chance.

Yes! Finally something is going the right way!

She gasps and quickly turns around, shocked. When she spots me on the door, her eyes grow wide; she opens and closes the mouth as if she was trying to say something, but words just die on her lips.

«Teru...?» she finally manages to whisper.

As soon as she calls my name, all the things I want to tell her start filling my head like the background noise of a broken television. There are so many things I need to say: that I missed her, that I'm sorry, that I love her, but they are so mixed together that I just can't say any of them in the right way. The only thing I can do is nod and step forward, as a proof that I'm there and I'm real.

«I've been looking for you at school, but when I arrived there, you were already gone» I try to explain.

Still looking as if she just saw a ghost, Nami steps toward me too and, without thinking, touches first my arms, then my shoulder. I let her, fighting against the urge to hug her. She still doesn't seem to believe I'm real: if I suddenly hugged her, I'd probably scare her.

But I missed her! I missed her so much that being in front of her again is... well, like a dream! Staying still while she's touching me is harder than I thought.

«It's really you. You're not a vision; I'm not imagining things» she murmurs, finally letting go of my shoulders.

Her features relax and she looks less spooked then before, but she still doesn't look at my face, keeping her eyes fixed somewhere around my tie.

«Why should you be imagining things?» I ask as softly as I can.

She looks like a scared puppy: it feels as if she would run away, if only I raised my voice a little more than this.

«Because lately...» she starts explaining, but suddenly stops and shakes her head violently. «...Never mind. Just tell me why are you here? You shouldn't be...»

She tries to sound normal, but her voice shakes and then breaks without ending the sentence.

«I'm here because this is where you are. I promised you I would always find you, didn't I?» I answer.

Finally Nami raises her head to look at me and I finally notice that her eyes are a little red and that she looks thinner and paler than before.

The Nami I knew never looked this pale and sad. The Nami I knew never looked at me with such a scared expression, as if I was going to hurt her any moment now. Is it my fault if she has become this way? Is it really because of me?

Seeing her like this, my heart starts aching even more and that little bit of self-control I had left melts like snow in the sun.

«Please, forgive me! I've been an idiot! I've already lost you once; I should have learned my lesson! Instead, I broke my promise and let you go again. I'm sorry!»

I'm practically begging right now. Probably I even sound pathetic enough, but I don't really care. The time when I cared it's over. What's important is that she understands. Nothing else.

Nami gasps again and the slightly scared expression in her face turns into one of surprise that makes her look a little bit more like herself.

«You remembered...? When we were kids, we...» she blurts out all of a sudden, instinctively touching her lips with the finger, before blushing wildly as soon as our eyes meet again.

This is all the confirmation I needed. She remembered...! _She remembers! _So she didn't completely forget about what happened between us! She just couldn't recall it, but the memory _was there!_

«I've never forgotten, unlike _someone_» I can't help but tease her, and she blushes even more, pouting and turning away for me not to see her red cheeks.

«...idiot...» she mutter angrily, and walks back toward the railing.

«Yeah, you're right. The worst idiot in the world. I knew from the very beginning, and I screwed up all the same. I've been proud and stupid, I told you some terrible things...». I follow her, but stop a few steps behind her so as to resist to the desire to touch her. «Then, when I was far away from you, all I could think about was you: I missed you, I wanted to be with you, but it was too late. Pathetic, isn't it?»

A short silence follows, as I wait for an answer that doesn't come. In the end, after waiting for a minute long like an eternity, she sighs and turn toward me once again. If before she looked a little more like the ''old'' Nami, now the sad look was back, making her look depressed and tired.

«So this is why you came back?» she says. «Because you felt guilty? Well, you don't have to. I was a little disappointed back then, when you told me our friendship was a lie, but I'll get over it. So, if you...»

What? _WHAT? _What is she thinking? She thinks I came back because ''I felt guilty''? Of course I felt guilty, but not in the way she means it! She's misunderstanding! Why does this girl have to be _so slow?_

«THAT'S NOT IT!» I blurt out quickly, interrupting her before she can say something even worse. «I feel guilty, of course! It's only fair, because the things I told you the day I left are the real lies! I was _lying_, Nami! I lied because I though it was for the best, but now I'm losing you because of this! _Of course_, I came to apologize too, but what I really wanted to tell you is that I've finally understood what's really important to me. It's _you_, Nami!»

...There, I said it. I thought I never would, but I did it.

Nami chokes and stare at me again as if she just saw a ghost; but this time it's different. She doesn't look sad and scared like a puppy in the rain anymore: she looks _alive! _Her face is a little flushed, her eyes are shining and her whole body is tense, as if she was holding back from start pacing around. Then, she suddenly let out a nervous laugh.

«What is it? A way to tell me ''let's be friends again'', or something?»

...Is she really this slow, or is she pretending to? Well, either way, let's make things clear once and for all.

I step forward, close enough to touch her if I wanted to.

«No.»

She leans back against the railing, as if she wanted to back away. But she can't.

«T-then what is it? What do you mean?»

«What I mean...». I sigh in exasperation. Apparently she's _not _pretending. She really is like that. «Listen, Nami... I've often behaved like a brat with you, I've never treated the way you deserved, and yet you didn't turn me down not even once. You were always there for me, and I always hurt you in return. I'm sorry if I realized how important you were to me only after I went away. But now it's different: I know I have to throw away this stupid pride of mine and... accept that you're everything to me. So... if I swear I won't leave you anymore...will you stay always by my side?»

If she doesn't get it this time, I'm seriously going to start throwing tables! I already feel like someone squeezed my entrails: if I have to say it again, I think my head will explode.

Looks like I'm not the only one, though. Nami's face is completely red and she looks like she's going to pass out any moment. Still, she doesn't look away and keep staring at my face like she's looking for some kind of confirmation.

«Is this... a confession?»

«...Something like that.»

After this, everything happens so fast that I can't understand _how _it happened: first, a punch hits me violently exactly in the same place where Hariya punched me before, making my stomach become numb because of pain... and immediately after, Nami is in my arms, holding onto me tightly like she never did before.

«You idiot, _idiot, IDIOT! _Don't ever pull a stunt like this again, _understood_?»

She buries her face in my chest, so I can't see her, but her back starts shaking and her voice turns into quiet sobs.

«Don't leave anymore, please! I missed you... I don't want you to leave me once again!»

Before I know, I've completely forgotten about the pain in the stomach. While I was coming here, I thought so many times about what to tell her, and now I've forgotten everything because of her tears! She never cried in front of me like that. I never thought I would have seen her this way... and I hoped I never would.

All I can do is hug her and cradle her in my arms like a little kid, hoping she'll calm down.

«I won't leave you, so don't cry. I'll always be with you.»

She nods silently and lets out a long sigh, trying to hold back the tears. We stay like this for some minutes, while I wait for her to calm down.

I'm really sorry, Nami. Sorry if I made you feel sad, sorry if I made you cry. I won't happen again, I swear.

Finally her sobs stop and she raise her head to look up at me. Her eyes are still wet and a little red, but her usual smile is back.

«Welcome back, then!»

Seeing her usual grin, the weight I had on my heart finally lifts and I find myself smiling back.

Yeah, I'm really back! This is the place where the person I want to be with is; the place _I_ want to be. What else there's to know? _I'M HOME!_

«Well, it's not that easy getting rid of me, you know? Who are you going to quarrel with, if I'm not around?»

«If you put it this way, it really can't be helped» she sighs again, pretending to be disappointed and releasing me, putting a little bit of distance between us again.

...It's weird. I didn't think it would end up this way. I'm happy, really! But... I don't know how should I behave! She has forgiven me. At least, so it seems. But did she _really _accept my feelings? She haven't given me a proper answer yet... _and why did she get away from my arms in the first place?_

It's getting awkward and, when she looks up at me with a perplexed face, I can feel myself blushing.

I hate it when it happens!

«What's up?» she asks. «You are as red as a tomato.»

«I'm not _red! _And I was just wondering if...». Nope, no way. It doesn't work this way. I can't say it. «Oh, _what the heck!_ Just tell me _what _are we now!»

If I wanted to confuse her even more, then I managed perfectly. The only result is that she looks even more puzzled.

«''_What are we''?_»

«Yeah. I mean, are we...?»

«...lovers?»

Yup! That's the word!

Nami looks away briefly, as if she's considering something; then she looks at me again and smiles. Maybe it's just a trick of the light, but looks like she's blushing too.

«Well, if the one from before was a confession... I suppose we are.»

We are? _We really are?_

Yes! _Yes! YES!_

My heart starts fluttering and there's a side of me who'd want to climb on the rooftop and tell the whole word that Nami and I are _lovers! Lovers, _understood? I still can't believe that it's turning out this way, when I was so prepared for the worse before. I hoped she would listen to me, but I really didn't think she would accept my feelings. How lucky I am! I'm the luckiest person in the world!

I realize I'm standing there smiling like an idiot, only when I hear Nami giggling.

«You look cute when you smile like that.»

«...I think my head went blank, for a second there» I mumble, embarrassed. «It's all your fault! I thought you would say no! I thought there was no chance that you would...»

«...forgive you?» she complete the sentence when I hesitate.

No. ''...That you would be in love with me'' are the words I was looking for. Actually she didn't say it; but I haven't said it either, right?

«Would you prefer if I said no?» she asks, raising an eyebrow.

«...Idiot.»

Taking advantage of the fact that she wasn't expecting it, I quickly chop her. She jumps in surprise and then glares at me, massaging her forehead.

«Geez! I see haven't changed: you're as sadistic as ever! It hurts, you know?»

It doesn't, and you know it. I barely touched you. Also, if it did hurt, I doubt you'd look so pleased.

«That's because you were saying stupid things. Instead of speaking nonsense, give me your hand, will you?»

There is still something I have to do: something I promised I would do in case she would... you know. It's maybe the only way I can prove her that what I said is true, that I _am_ changed.

Still a little perplexed, Nami holds out her hand. I take out of my pocket _that_ key, the key with the shell keychain, and press it gently on her palm.

«It's for you.»

«A key?»

She carefully trace the key with her fingertip, then raise her head again to look at me, demanding and explanation.

«Not _''a _key''. That's the key of Sangoshou.»

«Then, why are you giving it to me?»

«I want you to keep it until the day I'll be able to reopen Sangoshou.»

For a second her face grows pale, then she watches first the key and then me, before smiling happily.

«So you won't give up on Sangoshou!»

I raise an eyebrow and smirk.

«I hate losing, don't I? So I'm not going to lose now. It might take a while, but I'll keep doing all I can until the day we'll be able to reopen Sangoshou... together. So don't lose it, okay?»

She clutches the key with determination and nods.

«I won't lose it! I'll treasure it until then... unless you'll be the one asking me to give it back, of course» she adds with a little bit of sadness.

What is she implying? That I could break up with her? Of all the stupid things she could think about...!

«...Do you want me to chop you again?»

«Nonono!». She quickly cover her head with the arms. «I believe in you! I do, really! What you just told me, the reason why you gave me this key... they are enough of a proof for me. They are things you wouldn't have done before. I really think... you are growing up.»

«Then why do you think I could break up with you? We have just become... you know what... and you are already having doubts?»

«No! It's just that... I still can't believe it! You could have everyone you wanted, and yet you came back for _me!_ It looks so much like a fairytale that I just _can't _believe it! In real life, princes don't fall in love with normal girls.»

She looks down at the key she's holding in her hand and, by the look in her eyes, I realize she might be thinking the same thing I thought before: she haven't told me she loves me yet, but neither did I.

«Come here.»

Nami raises her head quickly, surprised as if my request dragged her out of a dream.

«...Eh?»

«I told you to come here, idiot! And don't look at me like that: I won't bite you, you know?»

She obeys and comes closer of a few steps and I quickly drag her next to me, hugging her closely. She lets me do it and, after a second of hesitation, hugs me back, surrounding my waist with her arms.

«I'm not a prince and you're not a normal girl, got it? I'm me and you are you. And...»

I hesitate. The words I'm looking for are ''and I love you'', but somehow I just can't say it. It's not like I don't feel it or I don't want her to know; it's just hard for me to tell her. I've been waiting for three years. It's a lot of time: so much that I've kind of grown used to waiting. And now that I'm in front of her, now that my wish has come true, the words just don't come out. But...

But I don't want her to think I don't feel that way about her. I don't want her to feel sad because I can't say those words. I've already made her feel sad enough when I left her. So, if I can't say it in words...

«''And''?» she repeats, waiting for me to continue.

«...and I've been thinking about something for a while now.»

For a while? Well, three years aren't exactly ''a while'', right?

«About what?»

«On our first year, on our way back from school, at the slope... do you remember?»

She gasps and blushes furiously.

«Y-y-y-yes. I remember...»

It's nice to see her blush about that episode once in a while, since usually I'm the one getting flustered about it. Also, she looks cute when she does.

«If not for that kiss, perhaps we wouldn't end up being so close to each other. Maybe we would just keep on hating each other. So, _maybe _it was Fate: _maybe_ everything was decided from the very beginning.»

Despite her flushed face, Nami smiles thoughtfully and nods.

«Yes. _Maybe. _But we don't know for sure, right?»

«That's right. We don't know for sure. But there's a way to confirm it.»

I don't say more than that; there's no need to, because she has understood. I can see it in her eyes, in the way her cheeks turn pink, in the way she bites her bottom lip. There's nothing more I can say or do, other than waiting for her answer. It's not up to me anymore: it's up to her.

And finally...

«Yes.»

For a second my heart stops, before starting to race again. She accepted. Then now...

I look at her and see that she's looking at me too. When our glances meet, she closes her eyes, but it doesn't look like she's waiting for a kiss: more like she's lost in thoughts.

She's beautiful.

The tension inside of my chest melts and I finally feel really happy. Only happiness, without any doubts or embarrassments.

This is what I want. She's what I want.

I draw a little closer and carefully remove a strand of hair from her face, caressing her cheek: something I've been wanting to do for a while, but never dared. She shivers but doesn't open her eyes, still waiting. Seeing her like that, I feel like I'm not scared anymore. There's no reason to be afraid, because she feels the same way. We are a couple of inexperienced idiots, after all!

I approach a little more. Our faces are so close that I can feel every breath she takes, our lips only a few inches away. Maybe I should close my eyes now; if I keep them opened, I won't do anything: I'm too busy looking at her!

Then, suddenly, her lips move.

«Teru...» she whisper so softly that I can barely hear her. It sounds almost like a prayer.

My mind turns empty again, but this time I don't do anything to get out of it. Before I know it, I close my eyes.

Thank you, Nami. Thank you for accepting me, even after what I made you go through. Thank you because you'll be by my side from now on. In return, I promise you that the story that united us when we were little will have an happy ending after the cliffhanger. I'll definitely make you happy. Because I...

«I love you.»

Then our lips finally meets and everything goes blank around us.


	11. Epilogue: Beside

_Thank goodness it had to be a _short _epilogue! As always, I ended up writing too much for my own good. Maybe it's because I like writing about the heroine and Saeki bickering like kiddies? Mmh, that's probably so. After all, that's one of the reason why I like them! Another good point is that maybe my written English is improving a little: I think I make less mistakes compared to when I started... or I'm just not good at spotting them.  
__Anyway, this is really the end of this story. It took me more than I thought it would but, if even one single person liked it, I'm glad I did. Maybe I could write something about 3rd Story, since I have some free time in these days, but I'm not sure. Maybe I'll just try and write something and, if it satisfies me, I'll just go on with it.  
__Anyway, thanks for reading up to this point and hope you won't get bored!_

_**Epilogue**_

_**BESIDE**_

I knew it was going to be hard. It's not like I wasn't expecting it. But I didn't know it was going to be THAT bad! I mean, shouldn't the first months of a relationship be the best ones, instead of the more STRESSING ones?

And all of this is Nami's fault! First I had to go through the ''official introduction'' with my own grandfather, because apparently blasted Grandpa realized who she was from the very beginning and was waiting for us as soon as we got back from the lighthouse... meaning that I had to hear his lecture too; _then _I had to stand the ''glares of doom'' of all of her friends, boys and girls, all of whom are so angry for what I did to her, that are only waiting for an excuse to turn me into a bloody pulp!  
And now THIS! And all because of her bad habit of always being late! At least she could warn me that her father wasn't a man, but a _human mountain! _I would wear an armour, before stepping inside of her house!

...Right, right. I explain everything from the beginning. Nami and I both passed the tests to attend the same university, the best in the area (she never fails to surprise me by how high her scores are!). The results came out yesterday, so we decided to go out today to celebrate. BUT since my _beloved _girlfriend is always late, things didn't go exactly as I planned. Before I reached her house, she gave me a call to tell me she was going to be _a little_ late; since I'm used to it by now, I told her I would wait for her... but little did I know that her mother eavesdropped our phone call! In the end, when I reached Nami's house, I found her mother waiting for me on the door, and she basically dragged me inside because _''she has wanted to know her daughter's boyfriend for a while''._ And this after we've been together for less than a month! I love Nami, really... but facing her parents _now_ it's something I'm not prepared to! It's extremely embarrassing! Also, to make things worse, her father turned out to be some retired wrestler two metres tall and with so many muscles he could fill a truck with them; and, to make things _even worse than they already are_, he doesn't like me.

No, ''doesn't like me'' it's not bad enough. He hates me. If he didn't, he wouldn't be glaring at me ever since I was forced to get inside.  
And to make things even _worse than the worse I mentioned before_, there's no sign of Nami coming downstairs! Oh, but she's gonna pay for this! One million chops aren't going to be enough to repay me for all of this!

«There's no need to be this tense, Saeki-kun. Make yourself comfortable! Can I offer you something?»  
Nami's mother point at the sofa and smiles at me, a smile that looks a lot like my girlfriend usual grin. It certainly doesn't help me in feeling at ease.

«No, thank you, Madam. I'm fine» I answer as politely as I can, refusing to move from beside the living room's door. «I'm sure Nami will come downstairs soon, so there's no need to bother.»

Translation: ''As if I'll _ever _get close to that Doberman of your husband! I want to live, you know?''

«Sorry if she's making you wait. This morning her cousin came to visit, so the two of them started chatting and forgot about the time. You know, women are like this: once we start our girls talks, we never stop! Right, dear?»

She giggles and pats lightly her husband shoulder. He doesn't answer and just keep staring at me as if I was some sort of poisonous snake. Then, unexpectedly, he speaks.

«Young men this days are all so rude! Nami has nothing to apologize. Waiting for a woman is a man's duty.»

I don't know if he really thinks that or if he said it just as a provocation, but if he wanted to get on my nerves, he managed perfectly.

«Well, I'm not complaining, am I? Sir?» I answer out of impulse. I realize only after a second about that slip of the tongue and quickly try to make up for it by adding the ''Sir'' part... but it's already too late!

He gets up quickly from the sofa where he was sitting and he would probably come in front of me, if his wife didn't grab his sleeve and forced him to sit down again.

«Cut it out, dear! Don't be rude! He haven't done anything bad; on the contrary, he's been perfectly polite, waiting here despite Nami's delay! I know you're sad because Nami's growing up, but you should be happy she's not dating a criminal!»

...Thank you, Madam! You're a life-saver!

At his wife's words, Nami's father suddenly let himself fall on the sofa again. His eyes widens and... he starts weeping like a giant kid!

«WAAAAAAH! Don't say it like that! It's a stab in my heart of father! WHY DOES MY BABY GIRL HAVE TO GROW UP? She was so cute as a child... all ''Daddy here, Daddy there''... and now I find out she HAS A BOYFRIEND! WHYYYYYY?»

He keeps weeping, while Nami's mother gently pats his shoulder to comfort him.

«You have to excuse him» she apologizes. «You know, Nami is our only daughter, and she's a girl, so...»

...The human mountain is crying. That's kind of a shock! I don't know if I should laugh or be worried.

«...I understand» I just say, almost braking my ribs in the effort of not laughing in his face.

As soon as he hears my voice, though, he immediately calms down and gives me a ''glare of doom'' that would make Shiba's look kind in comparison.

«By the way, boy: how old are you?» he asks in a steely voice.

Wow, what a sudden change!

«Me? Ah... Eighteen.»

He stares at me suspiciously, then gets up and came closer, turning around me like some giant vulture.

«You're not lying, are you? Because you look kind of older than Nami.»

_''I don't look older. I look my age. It's your daughter that looks younger'' _I think, but, if I said that, he would probably cut me into a million tiny pieces.

«Would you like to check my ID, Sir?»

He snorts and open his mind, as if he's looking for something to say... but before he figures out an answer, we hear quick footsteps coming from the stairs. I quickly turn toward that direction, so fast that my neck become stiff.

Nami?

...No, apparently not. The person that just came down the stairs is indeed a girl and, in a way, she _does_ look a little like Nami, but it's definitely not her. She must be older than us, probably in her twenties; she's a little taller than Nami and her hair is reddish-brown, tied in a ponytail. Also, her eyes are blue.

Is she the cousin she talked me so much about? What was her name again?

«Miki, here you are! Is Nami coming?» Nami's mother asks with a big smile.

Miki! Right, that's her name! It's her, then. I suppose Nami was right: she's kind of pretty.

She nods with a big smile on her face.

«Yes, Auntie. She'll be here in a second: she's putting on the jacket». Then her gaze wanders around the room, until his eyes meet mine. «Ah, you must be Nami's boyfriend! I'm Miki Miyazaki, her cousin. Nice to meet you!»

«Yeah, I know» I answer without thinking, making her giggle. «Ah... Nice to meet you, anyway.»

She holds my hand briefly, then jokingly glares at her uncle, who's still looking at me like an eagle would look at its prey.

«Uncle is already threatening you? Don't mind him: he's all talks. He wouldn't be able to hurt a fly. _Right, Uncle?_» she adds, and her gaze turns strict and serious. «Give him a break, okay?»

Nami's father turns away and pout in a way that reminds me _a lot _of his daughter.

«I'm not threatening anyone! I'm just _checking _if he's okay for my baby girl!»

«If it was up to you, Uncle, the person who's okay for Nami would never exist!» Miki answers, rolling her eyes.

Then, we here another set of footsteps coming from the stairs. This time there's no doubt who they belong to.

As Nami appears in the living room, I can't help but smile. Here she is, my clumsy girlfriend! Looking at her, I can see that she kind of made an effort to look cuter than usual but she must have prepared so quickly that she still looks in a mess! Two strands of her hair, somehow, turned upward, looking like horns, and she is wearing the jacket on the wrong side.

«Sorry for the delay! Did you wait?» she asks as soon as she spots me between her cousin and her father.

Yes, I did. A lot! And I just spent the most terrible moments of my life discussing with your father!

I'm almost tempted not to tell her that she looks like she just came out of a washing machine and let everyone in the street laugh at her. That would be a nice revenge. Am I that cruel?

...Yeah, I probably am; especially when I'm in a bad mood. Like _now_, for example.

Luckily for her, her cousin noticed what was wrong in her appearance too and immediately warned her.

«Nami, your hair and your jacket are a little out of place.»

She looks down to check on her clothes and starts frantically to put things back in their place.

«Ahhh! I knew it! That's why Teru had that sadistic look on his face!»

A sadist? Me? Well, maybe a little. _Just_ a little!

«I was just looking admiringly at you, _dear. _Those horns on your head are particularly _lovely_!»

Nami glares at me and straightens her hair with the hand, while a roar somewhere beside my ear warns me that probably her father is going to jump at my throat any moment now. I quickly step aside, ready to avoid the blow... that doesn't come, because Nami's mother caught her husband arm right in the nick of time.

«DON'T STOP ME! Have you heard what he said about my BABY GIRL! That little twerp!»

«Oh, dear, you always exaggerate! Then again, at least he noticed what she was wearing! When _we_ were dating, you barely realized I was wearing something!»

The girls and I can do nothing but watch that bizarre fight, puzzled... or, at least, I am. Both Miki and Nami don't look that much surprised.

«Here they are again! It's always the same thing» Nami says, stepping by my side now that her father is not there anymore.

«So this is normal?»

«Yeah. They do it almost everyday» she answers, rolling her eyes.

«At my home is not much different» Miki explains, smirking. «You should have seen my father when he saw Kei for the first time... especially when he fell asleep in the middle of the conversation!»

«Right! That one was epic! Especially when he said that it was only ''because he was sleepy''! Kei-san is a genius!» Nami giggles, exchanging glances with her cousin.

...Is there even someone _normal _in this family? I'm starting to be seriously worried!

«Ah, by the way, Nami: have you closed the door on the stairs before coming down? You know that if Nyaa realizes there's an unknown male in here...» Miki asks, turning deadly serious all of a sudden.

Nyaa? A cat?

As soon as she hears that name, Nami turns pale, so pale that she looks like she can faint any moment now.

«Hey, are you...?» I start, but before I can finish the sentence, I see a white, furry ball silently entering the room. It's so round and fat that I take a few seconds to realize it's actually a cat: a white, fat kitten with big, blue eyes. In a few words, the cute type.

«Your cat?» I ask, but Nami interrupts me.

«Sssh! Don't speak and don't move! He's not a cat, but a furry war machine! He goes ballistic every time he sees a man other than my father and Miki's boyfriend!»

«WHAT?»

Please, don't tell me that _even _the cat is going to hate me! As if that human mountain of her father (that right now is still discussing with his wife if he should kill me or not) wasn't enough!

...That kitten doesn't look all that dangerous, though. I mean, it's so small I could lift it with one hand!

«You'd better listen to her, she's not joking. Don't talk, don't move and breath quietly until Nami takes him back upstairs» Miki whispers, as if she though the kitten could understand her.

...Well, considering that the members of this family are all _crazy_, I assume the cat might be crazy as well, so I'd better do as she says. One can never know what might happen. So I stay as still as I can, trying not to make the white kitten notice I'm there, while Nami sneaks quietly toward it.

«Nyaa, come here, sweetheart! I'm going to take you upstairs now, 'kay?» she chants sweetly. «So, please, be a nice little cat and don't kill my boyfriend, 'cause I don't want to become widow before the marriage.»

_Widow? _Is that cute, little kitten _that_ dangerous? Note to self: no matter what happens, _don't ask Nami to marry you, _else, before you know it, you'll find yourself underground! These people (and pets) are dangerous! Okay, it's not like my parents are better. I can picture the scene if I'll ever introduce Nami to them: my father screaming because I got together with such a ''normal girl'' instead of some lawyer daughter, my mother crying because ''her son is going to ruin is own life''... Ouch! But at least I know what to expect from them!

Meanwhile, Nami has reached her cat. It doesn't seem to have noticed I'm there and is almost letting himself take upstairs by her... when suddenly I hear her father voice behind me.

«Nyaa! There's another man here!»

At the sound of his voice, Nyaa suddenly turns around and spots me. Our eyes meet and I know I can consider myself as well as _dead._

...Goodbye, cruel world!

**...**

Some time later, Nami and I are finally out of that house, walking side by side along the street. For every step I take, my left leg hurts like hell. That damned cat scratched me to death before I finally managed to get rid of him and his even more damned claws! The girls were right: that cat isn't a cat, but a _demon!_ Yes, _a demon!_

It's official: I. Hate. Cats.

As I stagger beside her, Nami looks at me with a complex look: I couldn't say if she's more worried about my wounded leg, or more angry because I kicked her cat out of the living room.

«Are you sure you are okay?» she asks for the eleventh time.

I glare at her. She would deserve a chop for all I went through today, but I'm too much in a bad mood even for that. Maybe later, when she won't see it coming...

«I don't know. I hope there won't be permanent damages.»

«Oh, come on! You're exaggerating now! It can't be all that bad!»

«It is. I assure you it is.»

«Well, you shouldn't have kicked him anyway. Treating animals that way is cruel, you know?»

_WHAT? _Is she still defending that furry demon after what it did to me?

I hold back the urge of strangling her here and now, and just glare at her again.

«That was self-defence! That _thing_ was starting to climb up! I though it would cut my head off with its deadly claws! It's not like I go around kicking animals for fun, you know?»

«Deadly claws...»

Nami sighs and roll her eyes ironically, before making her hand sneak into mine.

«Come on, hold my hand. Maybe it will help you walk a little straighter. You are staggering like a hippo.»

No! She can't do that! She knows I'll forgive her on the spot if she starts doing cute things; but this time it's not going to happen! It's _definitely _not going to happen!

Even if it pains me, I let her hand go and give her yet another glare.

«I wouldn't be staggering if _someone_ remembered not to let her cat come downstairs while I was there. If that _someone _wasn't late in the first place, nothing would happen! I wouldn't be hated by her father, I wouldn't be in embarrassment in front of her mother and I wouldn't be scratched to death by her cat. Now we would already be at the cinema and my leg wouldn't be ready for an amputation!»

She laugh.

«Well, at least you didn't get bored!»

Another glare, immediately followed by a chop.

«_At least I wouldn't be hurt, IDIOT!_»

She scratches her forehead where I hit her, and then sighs, turning serious again.

«Okay, okay, I know you're right. I shouldn't have been late, I'm sorry. But, you know, Miki came to give me a couple of great news, so we started chatting and forgot about the time.»

«...What great news?»

I hope for her it's something _really _great, or else I won't forgive her for the rest of my life.

She shows one of her best smiles.

«She's getting married! Apparently Kei-san proposed... somewhat.»

This Kei guy would be the one who worked as a model? The one who fell asleep in the middle of a conversation with Miki's father? Certainly, he must have guts... or serious sleep issues.

«...''Somewhat''?»

«Well, Miki didn't tell me all the details, but apparently he just came and said something like ''Why aren't we married yet?''. Looks like he though he had proposed long ago. He really is something». She smiles and shakes her head. « Anyway, the rest of the family still don't know anything: you know, they want to tell it to her parents first. Still, since I'm her favourite cousin and all, she decided to tell me first. Isn't this great? The two of them have been together for years, and they are such a cute couple!»

Well, she's certainly right. Knowing that her favourite cousin is getting married is ''_one heck of a news''_. Also, since they are girls, they probably started talking about wedding dresses and stuff and really forgot about the time. I suppose I should forgive her, then.

Holding back a sigh, I grab the hand that I first refused. She turns toward me, a bit surprised, then smiles and holds my hand a little more tightly. She looks... really glad.

...Well, I like it this way. I don't like being angry at her, even if sometimes she deserves it.

I avoid her gaze so as not to blush and keep talking as if nothing happened.

«So, when will they get married?»

«They haven't decided yet, of course, but they'll probably be busy from now on, so I'll have to be Saki-chan's guide when she'll come.»

Saki-chan? Who is she?

«Saki-chan would be...?»

«Misaki, my younger cousin. I think I mentioned her a couple of times before. Her family decided to move back here a while ago, so she'll be here soon. I'll have a few days to show her around a bit, before the university starts and all.»

Another cousin of Nami's... Well, she said she have a big family, so I shouldn't be surprised. But there's something that bothers me, and that would be...

«Is she another _crazy_ like the rest of you?»

Nami pouts and look away, pretending to be offended, as always.

«What's that supposed to mean?»

«That you are crazy» I answers without even thinking about it, making her pout even more. She puffed her cheeks so much it looks like she's going to explode.

«If I'm crazy, than you're a jerk! And no, she's not a crazy, 'kay? She's probably more together then I am... at least, she was when I saw her last and it was quite some time ago. Now she should be fifteen. I think she should be pretty cute, too... so don't hope I'm going to introduce her to you!»

Wait a second! What was _that?_

I turn toward her very slowly, with my best evil smirk on my face. That's it! It's the moment I've been waiting for for three, long years! I almost despaired it would never come, but apparently someone listened to my prayers!

«What was that, Nami?» I ask, still smirking wildly.

Her eyes open wide for a second, as if she just realized something, then quickly turns away... but still not fast enough for me not to notice her blush.

«...nothing.»

Yes! Hell, yeah! That's _definitely _it! I had it devouring me from the inside for so much time that I could recognize it even with my eyes closed!

«Really? It's not like you are perhaps...»

Saying this, I get a little closer.

«...maybe...»

A little more closer.

«...by any chance...»

Even more closer. Our noses are almost touching.

«..._JEALOUS_?»

She blushes wildly and the little devil on my left shoulder starts rejoicing. Ahhh! Finally after three years she spent making fun of me because of my jealousy, time has come for my revenge!

As always, she pouts and turns away.

«As if! Jealous of _whom?_ After all, I'm the only one who could take all of your abuse without leaving you in the dust. You should be thankful!»

...Well, I am, but I'm not going to tell her now. The mood is just not right. Maybe some other time.

«Okay, okay. Just for this once, I'll pretend to believe you, but only because we're already late. We don't want to make Hariya and Nishimoto wait, do we?»

With a huge grin on my face, I start walking faster, dragging her along. She's almost running to keep up.

«Teru, slow down! My legs aren't as long as yours, you know? Also, weren't you the one with the wounded leg?»

I slow down a little and take a quick peek at the leg that the demon cosplaying as a cat scratched. It _does _sting and burn every time I move it, but it's not like I can't walk at all. When I checked, the scratches weren't even bleeding. I can't tell Nami, though, or else next time she'll forget about locking the cat again... if there will be a next time, of course. And I hope it won't! Another day like this and I can say goodbye to my sanity.

«Whatever. Even if your demon cat would tear if apart, I'd bear with it rather than be late. Hariya would go on and on about it for _years_!»

Nami sighs and then looks up at my face suspiciously.

«You know, maybe I should start being seriously jealous.»

I'm still thinking about my poor leg and how to get revenge over the demon cat, so I don't hear what she just said. The only words I figure out is ''jealous''.

«...Eh? Jealous of what?» I ask, still spacing out a little.

«Of Harii. The two of you would be such a nice couple, you know? I'm a little worried.»

…

...

...

...HA?

«...You seriously want to die, Nami?» I ask slowly without looking at her. If I look at her, I'll probably strangle her on the spot; and I just can't do that, right? There are too many people on the street: too many witnesses. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in jail if she dies.

She pretends not to notice the pulsing veins on my forehead and just keep talking as if it was the most innocent conversation in the world.

«I'm only saying the truth. You two get along so nicely, and he's probably the only person, other than myself, who can stand an extreme tsundere like yourself as a friend. Only someone with his personality could get along with someone who's 99% Tsun-tsun and only 1% Dere. Yeah, I think you would be perfect together. Maybe I should just give up to a rival like Harii.»

...Is she serious? What is she babbling about? First thing, Hariya is a guy; second, even if he was a girl, he would probably be annoying as hell! No way! No way! NO FREAKING WAY! And again, what with the tsundere thing?

«_Who's rival with whom? _You always say stupid things, but this one beats them all! And on top of that, _I'm not a tsundere!_»

What the heck is this girl thinking? She's crazy. Yeah, she's definitely crazy.

...Still, now that she makes me thing about, it's kind of true that at times Harii behaves like a male version of Nami. Maybe, if he was a girl, the two of them would kind of look alike...

Aaaaaaaaaah! _What am I thinking? _It's all Nami's fault, putting this thoughts inside of my head! Snap out of it, Teru!

«It would be a problem, though: I just finished my novel with the marriage between the Maiden and the Pirate Prince, and now I find out that the Pirate Prince wants to be with the city paladin instead! Crap, I'll have to change all of the final chapters! I didn't expect it to become a BL novel! Still, if I that's the turn of events...»

Again, she keeps on talking as if she didn't hear me at all! And what's worse is that, the more she goes on, the more my ears become red. If she notices, I'll be in trouble! She'll make fun of me for the rest of her life... exactly like Hariya would.

ARGH! JUST STOP IT!

«_Nami, stop slashing us! It's not funny at all!»_

She smirks briefly, before emulating an innocent expression.

«Then, if not because you want to be with Hariya, why have you turned our ''celebration date'' into a ''celebration double-date''? I've nothing against it, really!» she adds quickly, shaking her hand in front of her as if to erase what she just said. «But when you told me that we were going at the movies with Harii and Haruhi... well, you surprised me. I though you hated double-dates! Every time Haruhi invited us both at the Amusement Park, you looked really annoyed.»

Well, this is a good point. Actually, I don't hate double dates _per se_; what I hated was the fact that I had to pretend to be someone else because Nishimoto was there. The first times were especially stressing, with Nami and Hariya laughing at me under their breath. Anyway, the last times wasn't as bad anymore, because I'm now used to the presence of Nami's friend as much as I'm used to Hariya, so I managed to be a little more ''myself''. Still, the fact that I don't hate double-dates doesn't mean I _like _them. For an occasion like this one, between a double-date with Hariya and Nishimoto, I'd prefer a date with Nami alone. There's a reason why I organized all of this. I suppose there's nothing wrong if I tell her: at least she can help me out.

«Let's just say that I did it for Nishimoto. She wanted a chance with Hariya and I'm just giving her one.»

Nami frowns, perplexed.

«For Haruhi? But you barely talk to her when when we're together!»

«Well, I owe her something. She was the one who told me you were at the lighthouse... that day, you know.»

«Oh, I got it! The day you confessed!»

«...Right.»

There was no need to say it out loud, though. It's a little embarrassing, you know?

Nami nods a couple of times, thoughtful, and then smiles with determination.

«Okay, I'm on it too! Just tell me what to do and I'll do it, Captain!»

She's joking as usual, but there's something about her smile. It's a little bit... forced, maybe? Or am I just overthinking?

Trying to shake off this kind of thoughts, I explain the plan.

«It's easy, really. We go to see the movie, then, as soon as it finishes, we take advantage of the crowd and disappear, so they can stay alone. So, you see, it's not really a double-date. We get to stay alone, too.»

She nods again, as thoughtful as ever. Looks like she didn't even hear the last thing I said.

«Okay. I like it. I think it will work: I think the two of them would look good together. She'll make him happy... certainly more than I could.»

_STAB!_

I stop dead on my tracks and, since we're holding hands, she's forced to stop only a couple of steps away from me.

_''...certainly more than I could...''_

What does it mean?

My blood is boiling and I can feel it rush up to my face. I'm probably as red as a tomato, but this time is not because of embarrassment. This time is pure rage and jealousy. It's useless to deny it.

«What does it mean?» I ask slowly in an effort not to lose control.

She looks at me with big eyes, as she always does when she doesn't understand what I'm talking about.

«What?»

«The last thing you said. What do you mean?»

«Ah... Well...». She clears up her voice, before continuing: «You realized it too, right, Teru? That Hariya... liked me.»

So she realized it too. Then what's with that sad face? What with that forced smile? If she knew and wanted to be with him, why didn't she choose him in the first place?

The usual sting pierces my chest. I don't know. I'm not sure I want to know. But I have to.

«And you? You liked him too?»

«...Eh?»

She looks shocked and for a few seconds doesn't say anything. Then quickly shakes her head.

«No need to turn yandere on me, Teru. I liked him, but only as a friend. That's the reason why I pretended not to know even after I found out. I liked someone else, but didn't want to make him suffer. That's it. Still... it's sad, you know? I got what I wanted: I have you. But because of that, he can't have the person he likes. It must be though, that's all I'm saying. As a friend, I hope he'll be happy and Haruhi might be the right person.»

I start breathing again.

That's right. Yes, she's right. I should have expected her to say something like that: it's so like Nami to worry about Hariya that way, and I guess I can sympathize with him too... even if, of course, I'm not going to hand him Nami because of it.

Still... well, she scared me. For a moment, I really thought...

Oh, it just don't work! How can we talk about these things right here in the middle of the street, with everyone passing us by and looking at us! I don't like it!

I quickly take a look around. Nobody seems to be paying us attention at the moment. Good.

«Come with me!»

Grasping her hand even more tightly than before, I drag her along toward the other side of the street.

«Hey! Where are we going?» she protests, but follows me all the same.

I don't answer, because we are almost there. I drag her with me in an alley. It's just the narrow space between two building, not even that dark compared to the main street, but enough to hide us from other people's curious glances.

«Would you tell me what is it?» she protests again.

Is there really need to explain, Nami? Have you really not understood? You act that slow, but right now I don't know how slow you really are. Maybe, just maybe, you understand what's going to happen better than I do.

Before she can say anything else, I push her against the wall and kiss her.

It's different from all the kisses we've exchanged up to now. It's not the shy kind of kiss we exchanged at the lighthouse when we became a couple. It's something different. I don't know myself why I'm doing this, or _what _am I doing in the first place. It just... is this way.

For the first few moments, Nami struggles against me, as if she wanted to push me away... but then she relaxes and I can feel her sigh against my lips, before she kisses back.

When we finally separate, we are both breathing hard. For a second we just look at each other... before we both start laughing.

«For a second there, you really surprised me!» she giggles, holding tightly to my shoulders as if she was afraid to fall on the ground if she released me.

«Actually, I surprised myself too. I just stopped thinking, I guess.»

She laughs.

«Then stop thinking more often!»

I glare at her jokingly and chop her lightly. So lighly, in fact, that she doesn't even complain.

«Idiot! You shouldn't say this kind of things: I don't know how things could turn out if I _really _stopped thinking.»

«Whatever happens, I won't complain! I promise!»

I shake my head and quickly kiss her on the forehead.

«You perv! Stop thinking dirty thoughts, and don't scare me like that anymore. When you said those things about Hariya, I thought...»

What is it that I thought? That she loved someone else? That she was going to leave me? I don't really know. All I know is that my heart stopped.

«I just said what I was thinking. Was I wrong?»

«...No, you're right. Maybe a little too much.»

Before she can get the meaning of what I said, I lean in and kiss her again, more lightly than before. This time, she doesn't even try to struggle and immediately kisses back.

That little perv! ...But I like it this way, I guess.

«I think we are totally late, by now. We'll never catch up with Hariya and Haruhi» Nami whispers when we separate, looking at her watch from over my shoulder.

I shrug.

«Oh, well, I have a better idea. Why don't we just let them think we ''forgot'' about the date and go somewhere else on our own? _They_ get to spend all the evening alone, and _we_ can celebrate properly. Everybody wins. How does it sounds?»

She grins.

«You're evil... but I like the sound of that. Maybe you passed me some of your naughtiness when we kissed.»

«Then I won't kiss you anymore, so you won't become as evil as I am» I tease her, and she immediately panics.

«Hey, I never said I didn't want to become evil! I _want _to become it! I want to be even more evil than you! I want to be... uhmmm... Yeah, the Queen of the Evils!»

I should be flattered that she likes to kiss me, I suppose. Still, if we keep kissing like this, things could _really _turn out badly. We should stop. Really, we should.

But one more can't hurt, right? Only one... The last one, and then we can leave...

...Three kisses later we are still there, with Nami leaning on my shoulder, our breath still fast.

I told you things are going to turn out badly! Thank goodness the alley between two buildings is not exactly the most romantic place in the world! If we were somewhere more suggestive, we probably wouldn't even stop for breathing! And all of this is Nami's fault! Stupid Nami, always being cute...

Right then, she suddenly leans against my shoulder, smiling like a kid at Christmas.

«I love you» she whispers in a kind of absent minded voice, as if she just woke up from a dream.

...See what I mean?

«Yeah, I know.»

«What kind of an answer is that? I just told you that I love you!»

«I heard. And I told you that I know.»

She turns bright red and punches me in on the shoulder.

«Demon! How can you always spoil the mood like that? You're such a...» she roars like a lion.

I laugh.

«Then you're in love with a demon. Good luck!»

Nami growls even harder, turning her back to me.

«I changed my mind! I hate you!»

I shrug and straighten up. I wanted to spoil the mood and I looks like I managed. At least things won't turn out badly right now. It's a pity though... and now Nami is angry at me. Ahhh...

«Hate me all you want, but it's too late. I already love you.»

She quickly turns around, a surprised but extremely happy look on her face, and come back by my side again. Somehow, looking at her, I remember what Grandpa said more than a year ago: ''The couples who quarrel a lot ends up being the most passionate ones''. Looks like he's right, after all. If someone told me we'd end up like this in the end, I wouldn't believe it. Yet, it happened.

I grab her hand and drag her out of the alley, back in the main street with its flow of people and lights.

«Come on! I promised we would celebrate today, and we will. Let's go.»

She takes an heroic pose as she walks quickly to keep up with my pace.

«Yes, Captain! Do you have a place in mind?»

«Uhmm... What about the beach?»

The beach... the place where everything started for us. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I want to go there... other than the fact I like it, of course, no matter what season or time it is.

Nami nods with sparkling eyes.

«Okay. I'd like to go there too. It's romantic!». Then her smile turns a little naughty as she looks up at me with a somewhat hopeful expression. «So, if you want to go on with the training to make me become the Queen of the Evils, I won't mind.»

Why do my girlfriend have to be such a PERV! This means troubles! This definitely means troubles! I feel something will turn out badly before the end of the date! I'm sure of this!

...Oh, well... If she doesn't mind...

I briefly glare at her and mess up her hair with the hand.

«...We'll see about that.»

After all, who cares what happens now. We've been through a lot already: if we managed to stick together up to now, we can win over everything, isn't it?

As long as I am beside her.

As long as she's beside me.


End file.
